The Wolf and the Witness
by SWWoman
Summary: When Ichabod Crane and Abbie Mills find a unusual footprint at the scene of demonic murder, Abbie calls on her friend, She-Wolf Joss Carter, and her mate John Reese, to help with the investigation.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes:**

**This is my first crossover fic, suggested to me by Bug Evans, so if you don't like it blame her! :) J/K,. When she first suggested it to me, I initially told her, "No way!"; but then I got to thinking about it as I was driving home that night and realized it could work. I hope you agree.**

**For the Sleepy Hollow side, the events of this fic take place before the season one finale. I actually started writing this when I took some time off around Christmas. Katrina is still in Purgatory and Abbie is not. There is some light Ichabbie.**

**As for the Person of Interest part of the story this is part of my Wolf series. John Joss Lionel and Shaw are all werewolves, and John and Joss are mates. Needless to say, this is heavily Careese and completely AU from the show. In my fics, I deviate from the show at approximately 55 minutes into The Crossing. Joss survives and the Samaritan story line never happened. I have tried to write the story in such a way you do not have to have read my previous Wolf stores to understand what is going on here, but please let me know if you have any questions!**

**The usual disclaimers apply: I do not own any of the Sleepy Hollow or the Person of Interest characters. If you recognize it from the shows, it belongs to the producers, not me. Which bums me out.**

**Thanks to ReeseisLAVAhot and carolinagirl919 for betaing. I cannot tell you guys how much better you guys make me. I am deeply grateful you take the time out of your busy lives to give me a hand.**

* * *

**Chapter 1 - Attack**

Ichabod Crane gracefully unfolded himself from the police car and looked around in the early morning fog. As usual, about half the police cars in Sleepy Hollow were there with their lights flashing. Crane, used to candlelight in his own time, had initially found the extremely bright lights disconcerting, but recently he realized that they had ceased to bother him. This was just one more thing he had adjusted to in this strange century.

His favorite thing about this century was his partner and co-witness, Lieutenant Abigail Mills. She frowned as her ex-boyfriend Detective Luke Morales approached them. Crane tensed, but maintained the outward appearance of indifference to the detective. Morales didn't acknowledge Crane at all and only addressed Lieutenant Mills.

"Hey Abbie, not much to see here. I'm not sure why Irving insisted I call you. It's just another animal attack." Morales waved his hand dismissively, obviously hoping that she would take the hint.

She merely shrugged. "Well, we're here. Let's see what you got." Crane felt his irritation rise at Morales's condescending attitude towards Abbie, but she was used to it by now and ignored Morales's tone. That was something else that bothered Crane. She shouldn't have had to get used to the insufferable detective. Back in his time, women were not spoken to with such disrespect.

Morales made a sour face and turned to walk further into the woods; Crane and Abbie followed closely behind him. "A hunter found the victim about an hour ago. Looks like the poor sap had been dead for several hours. Unfortunately, out here in the middle of nowhere, it looks like there was no one to see or hear anything, again." Morales stopped in a small clearing a couple hundred feet off the road and indicated the body lying to one side.

Abbie and Crane squatted down to examine the corpse, careful not disturb any evidence. The victim's throat had been ripped out, but whatever had killed him didn't stop there. The body was covered with bites and claw marks. One arm had nearly been chewed off and his leg was lying at a very unnatural angle to the rest of the body. Whatever had done this was big, strong, and violent.

"The only animal I know of that can do this type of damage is a bear, and a very large one at that," Crane remarked as he examined the victim. What he didn't say was _or a demon_.

Abbie looked at him sharply since she was thinking the same thing and then shook her head. "That doesn't make sense. The only bears in the Hudson Valley are black bears, and they're not that big or aggressive. Even if they run across a human out in the woods they normally just run away."

Crane frowned. He really didn't want this to be demons. "Mountain lions?" he asked.

But his hopes were dashed when Abbie shook her head a second time. "Not in this century. There hasn't been credible sighting of a cougar around here in decades."

"Did the witness see the animal?" Abbie asked Morales as she stood up.

Morales shook his head. "Nope, the coroner thinks the vic's been dead for several hours, so the critter was long gone."

"Detective Morales, how many animal attacks does this make in the past week?" Crane inquired thoughtfully as he surveyed the scene.

Morales gave Crane a condescending look, like he was an amusing toddler. "Four," he answered curtly.

Crane leaned over to Abbie. "Four fatal attacks in one week? That is unusual is it not?"

Abbie pursed her lips. "Very unusual; we usually only get one attack every couple of years or so."

Morales grunted rudely. "Come on Abbie, look at the body. What else could it be?"

Abbie regarded her former paramour evenly. "I don't know, Luke. What else could it be?" She of course had her suspicions, but nothing she could share with him; not that he would believe her anyway.

Leaving Lieutenant Mills to continue her conversation with Detective Morales, Crane began slowly circling the clearing, looking for signs the creature may have left behind. On the northeast side of the clearing he found the some broken branches in the foliage, indicating that the victim had come from that direction, but since the ground was carpeted with leaves, there were no tracks to be found.

"Find anything?" Abbie asked as she came up behind him.

Crane pointed to the broken branches on the bush. "It looks like the victim came from this direction. Given the damage to the bush, I would say he was running, chased by whatever it was that killed him."

"Can you track him back to where the creature began chasing him?"

Crane nodded. "Yes, I believe I can."

Abbie waved her arm in the direction the victim had come from. "Let's go then."

Crane nodded his head and began carefully following the trail of disturbed vegetation through the woods. Abbie followed along behind, being careful not to disturb anything.

About a hundred yards away, they discovered an empty double barrel shotgun lying on the forest floor. Crane and Abbie stared at it for a minute before Abbie spoke. "Either our vic is a lousy shot and missed or whatever it was is immune to shotguns."

"Indeed," Crane merely stated and continued to follow the victim's trail.

A couple hundred more yards into the forest, they found a campsite. Embers from a fire still glowed in the fire pit next to an overturned camp chair and a plate of food was scattered over the ground.

Crane studied the scene. "Our John Doe was camping. It looks like his dinner was disturbed by the creature that killed him."

Abbie pointed to a shotgun shell on the ground. "Looks like he got a shot off before he ran. He took another shot further on down and dropped the gun when it was empty."

Cranes nodded his assent. "My guess is that he was trying to make it to the road and possible aide when the creature overtook him."

Abbie and Crane began looking carefully round the campsite. Finally, Crane found what he was looking for─ a print from the creature that killed the unfortunate camper.

Crane showed Abbie at the enormous paw print in the soft dirt. "I think Wolves may have been involved in this. Do you have any experience with the Wolf People?"

Abbie squatted down to examine at the paw print. "Not professionally, but I do have a friend who was turned a couple of years ago."

Crane stood up, brushing the dirt from his hands. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Abbie stood up as well and smiled at her friend. "Don't be. She's actually quite happy. She mated with the Wolf who turned her and they have a child now."

"Attitudes towards Wolves seem to have changed since my time then. During the war, becoming a Wolf meant you were driven from society. Wolves maintained their separate communities and there wasn't much mixing with regular humans. Though General Washington did find they made excellent scouts during the war."

Abbie laughed, thinking of the tough no-nonsense woman she had met at the "Women of Color In Law Enforcement" seminar several years ago when she was a rookie. For some reason, Jocelyn Carter, the tough NYPD Homicide Detective took the small town girl under her wing and had been mentoring her over email and phone calls ever since. They got together a couple of times a year for lunch and they met up at various police seminars as well. Last year Joss was on a panel discussing She Wolves in police work and verbally destroyed anyone who displayed the slightest hint of anti-Wolf prejudice.

"I feel sorry for anyone who tries to run Jocelyn Carter off when she doesn't want to be run off." Abbie grinned at Crane. "Besides, her mate is a stone fox." Joss had sent Abbie a picture of her family after the birth of her cub, a baby girl named Cali Alexis, and Abbie was stunned by just how handsome Joss's mate had been.

Crane looked confused. "You just said he's Wolf? He's a fox?"

Abbie rolled her eyes. "No, no, he's Wolf. I just meant he is one fine looking man."

"Why didn't you just say so?" Crane grumbled. He felt a faint twinge of… jealousy? Why would he feel jealous if Lieutenant Mills found another man attractive?

* * *

Detective Jocelyn Carter was on her first cup of coffee of the morning as the phone rang. Her son, Taylor was at school, Cali was napping, and her mate, John Reese, was still working a number. She was enjoying a rare moment to herself when she recognized Abbie's number on her caller ID.

"Abbie! How are you?" Joss asked happily, delighted to hear from her friend.

"Doing good, Joss. Hey I hate to bother you, I know you're on maternity leave and busy with the baby, but I have a problem here that I think I need your help with."

Joss sat up on the couch where she had been lazing about. "Oh? Tell me about it."

"There have been a series of attacks up here the last few nights. Several people have been torn up pretty bad. At first we thought we had a rogue animal on the loose, but last night my new partner found an enormous paw print at the scene of the latest attack."

A little furrow appeared between Joss's eyebrows. "You think a Wolf is behind the attacks? But there hasn't been a full moon, and there won't be for a couple of more days."

"I know, but you can change when the moon isn't full, right?"

"Yeah, John and I both can change anytime, but we're rare. Most Wolf people can only change at night under or very close to a full moon."

"See? This is why I need you up here. I don't know any of this stuff. I hate to ask, but I really could use your help."

Joss took a sip of her coffee. "Yeah, let me talk to John and his… employer. I'll see if we can break free."

Abbie breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Joss I owe you. And Joss there is something you need to know about my new partner…"


	2. Chapter 2

**The Wolves**

Crane paced the living room of the cabin, clearly disgruntled, while Abbie and Jenny sat quietly watching him. "You're going to wear a furrow in the rug and, more importantly, my nerves, if you don't sit down," Jenny finally snapped.

Crane ignored her. "Why did you ask your friend to meet us out here instead of the police department Miss Mills?" he grumbled, not particularly liking the idea of a group of strangers meeting them at the cabin.

"I told Joss about you. I thought it would better to meet out here where we could talk freely without Luke skulking about." Abbie watched her partner carefully to see how he took the news that she had let someone else in on their secret.

Suddenly feeling the need to sit down, Crane settled in one of the chairs and looked at Abbie incredulously. "_Everything_ about me?"

Abbie nodded. "Joss is a smart woman and one of the best detectives on the New York City police force, which means she is one of the best detectives, _period_. I can't lie to her; she'd know."

Crane sighed and closed his eyes. "And how did she take my… history?"

Abbie paused for a minute and replied, "It was weird. She believed me immediately and she took it really well. She's Wolf so she has had some experience with the supernatural. She's so intuitive sometimes it's creepy."

"Surely she isn't any creepier than the Headless Horseman?" Crane said a small smile on his features.

Abbie snorted. "Nope, Headless is the Super Bowl Champion of Creepy."

Before Crane could ask what a Super Bowl was and why the Headless Horseman would be a champion, he heard the crunch of tires on the gravel outside the cabin. He rose gracefully from his chair and announced, "Your friend is here."

* * *

Jocelyn Carter pointed up ahead. "Yep there's the cabin. Abbie's directions were perfect."

"Thank god, I need to take a walk. I'm getting a leg cramp back here," Lionel Fusco grumbled from the back seat. "I don't see why we couldn't meet your buddy in town."

Joss glanced back at her partner. "This isn't exactly an official visit, Fusco. We need to keep this on the down low. At least until we know what we're dealing with."

Fusco shifted in his seat, trying to stretch his cramping leg. "You said it was a rogue Wolf. Don't know why that has to be kept on the down low. Pretty standard stuff."

"_If_ it is a rogue Wolf," Joss's mate John Reese growled from the driver's seat.

Joss looked over at him with concern in her big brown eyes. John had been very quiet, even for him, since she had told him and the rest of the team about Abbie's phone call and request for help. Joss had expected to do some persuading to get her mate to agree to drive up to the Hudson Valley, but he had agreed immediately and insisted the rest of the team accompany them.

Joss had known better to press him for answers; if John Reese didn't want to talk, he didn't talk. He had once been captured on a mission and tortured for nearly 14 hours before he was rescued, and he hadn't even given his captors his name**. Joss had long ago learned to wait patiently for the right time to ask her questions.

"You don't think this is a rogue Wolf, do you?" she asked softly.

John glanced briefly over at her and then looked back to the road. "No."

"What do you think it is?"

Joss detected the slightest tightening of John's jaw muscles and his eyes were glacial. "Nothing good. We'll know soon enough." He braked and threw the SUV into park in front of the cabin. "There's your friend."

* * *

Crane led Abbie and Jenny out the door and they stood on the front porch while two SUVs pulled up and stopped. "It seems that your friend was wise enough to bring reinforcements with her," Crane observed with approval. It made him feel better to see that this Detective Carter woman was taking this threat seriously.

Abbie raised an eyebrow at Crane. "Joss Carter survived two tours of duty in a war zone, and has been a cop on the streets of the largest city in the US for several years. She's no fool Crane. We can trust her," she insisted, looking at both Crane and Jenny.

"I don't trust anyone, you know that," Jenny growled.

Abbie rolled her eyes. "Least of all me, yeah I got that, Jen. But I suggest you don't mess with Joss."

Crane watched as a black woman, probably ten to twelve years older than Abbie stepped out of the lead SUV and smiled up at his partner. Abbie bounded down the stairs and joyfully hugged the older woman. "Thanks for coming Joss! I see you brought the troops."

Joss hugged Abbie back with huge smile on her face. "We don't know what we are facing here, so we thought it was good idea to bring a few highly competent friends."

Crane's attention was drawn to the driver side of the SUV from which Detective Carter had just emerged as a tall, handsome man exited from the vehicle. The man was classic Wolf; long, lean and all muscle. He had silver blue eyes that marked him as a descendant of the European bloodlines and the bearing of man who could handle just about any situation. Abbie had told Crane that Joss and her mate were Alphas, and looking at the man in front of him now, Crane could plainly see that this man was used to being in charge.

* * *

John surveyed his surroundings as he got out of the car and he immediately decided that he liked this place. The cabin in front of them looked to be comfortable and there were no neighbors close by. It reminded him of his childhood home in the Pacific Northwest. A Wolf had plenty of room to run here.

John looked up as one of the African-American women who had been standing on the porch hurried down the steps and launched herself at Joss. John smiled at his wife's enthusiastic greeting; she had mentioned Abbie Mills to him several times and it had been clear his mate was extremely fond of the younger woman. He could see the feeling was mutual.

Keeping his eyes moving as he always did, he turned his attention to the two people still standing on the porch. John assumed the tall, English man was the Revolutionary War soldier Joss had told the rest of the team about. He was certainly dressed the part in what looked to be authentic 1776 garb with his long hair tied back in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. John still wasn't sure the man was who he said he was, but Abbie believed him, and Joss believed Abbie, so he would go with it for now. He had seen a lot of weird things in the Army and the CIA, even meeting a witch or two in his travels, so he knew better than most that the story was at least plausible. But he also knew that being plausible didn't make it true.

He next looked long and hard at the other African-American woman. He recognized her and he frowned as it took him a minute to remember from where. Then it came to him. He remembered the woman, her face illuminated in the night by automatic gunfire as she and her band of mercenaries mowed down another set of mercenaries in a battle for a talisman that was rumored to have magical properties. Her group, better armed and better trained, had easily torn the other group to shreds and made off with the prize in triumph.

Unfortunately, the men who were guarding the talisman celebrated their victory with too much of the locally brewed and very potent booze. John and his CIA partner, Kara Stanton, were able to easily infiltrate their camp and steal away with the prize. By the time the rest of the camp had awakened and discovered their hard-won treasure was gone, John and Kara were already boarding an USAF C-130 at a remote airfield several miles away.

He smiled. It certainly was a small world….

* * *

Crane's attention shifted from the Alpha Wolf to the stocky man who climbed out of the back seat of the vehicle. He looked out of place in in his rumpled suit and tie. At first glance, the man didn't look like much. He was middle aged and definitely not in great physical condition, but Crane saw him survey the area with a detective's practiced eye and he didn't seem to miss a thing. There was shrewdness, what Abbie once had called "street smarts", in the man's eyes. Crane began to feel a wee bit better about the idea of bringing them in.

Crane shifted his attention from the trio in the first SUV to the duo in the second SUV. The driver, a small woman, hopped out gracefully and looked around, coolly assessing the situation. Her passenger was a middle aged man who moved stiffly and slowly, like he had some sort of chronic injury. A large dog jumped out of the back seat and promptly relieved himself on nearby tree.

"Crane! Jenny! Come on and meet my friend!" Abbie's voice brought him out of his reverie.

Crane moved with his usual poise down the steps to the driveway while Jenny held back.

As Crane approached, Joss smiled at him. "Is this your Revolutionary War soldier?" she asked Abbie.

Crane extended his hand. "And you must be the Alpha Wolf Lieutenant Mills has told me about."

Joss laughed and took his hand. "Yes, I'm the Wolf who is mated to the former CIA assassin employed by a paranoid billionaire as a vigilante."

Crane smiled. "And I'm the American Revolutionary spy put under a spell by my witch wife, connected by blood to the Headless Horseman, in order to stop the Apocalypse."

Joss shook his hand firmly, her smile wide and beautiful. "We should get along fine, then." The tall man came to stand beside Joss. "This is my mate, John Reese," she introduced him.

Crane and John shook hands. John had a firm handshake and both men warily sized the other up, before relaxing slightly, recognizing a valuable ally in the other.

The stocky man was introduced as Joss's partner on the NYPD, Detective Lionel Fusco. "Quite a rustic little place you have here," Fusco remarked.

"By the standards of my time, it is quite the opposite Detective," Crane cheerfully informed him.

"Um, yeah, I forgot about that whole missing 200 years thing," Fusco growled. Plainly, he would still need some time before he believed Crane was old enough to be a confidante of George Washington.

The small woman who had been driving the other car pushed forward and stuck her hand out while running her eyes over Crane's frame in appreciation. "I'm Shaw."

Abbie's rich, full lips disappeared into the thin line. She didn't like the way this Shaw woman was ogling Crane. Joss glanced over at her and noticed her annoyance, but said nothing.

"Shaw? No other name?" Crane was confused. Was this some previously undiscovered 21st century custom where some people only used one name?

Shaw shrugged. "First name is actually Sam, but I prefer just to be called Shaw. Can I call you Icky?"

Crane glared down his nose at the annoying little woman. "No," he said flatly.

Shaw made a 'whatever' noise. "OK, how about Crane then?"

Craned bowed with a flourish. "As you wish, Miss Shaw. Are you Wolf as well?"

Shaw smiled warmly and Joss nearly laughed out loud. Even the emotionally barren Shaw was not immune to Crane's charms. "Yup, we all are except for Finch."

Crane turned to the limping man. "I'm guessing you are Mr. Finch?"

The smaller man shook Crane's hand with a surprisingly firm handshake. Crane sensed that despite the man's obvious infirmities, he would be a formidable opponent or a marvelous ally.

"Yes, I'm Harold Finch," he said politely. He indicated the dog standing next to him looking at the strangers with interest. "This is Bear."

Crane carefully extended his hand to the animal and Bear nosed it with interest. Then the dog licked the hand and Crane scratched his ears.

* * *

Jenny had held back, not sure what to make of these strangers. Long harsh experience, both in the mental health system and working as a mercenary abroad, had taught her to trust no one. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy at how easily her sister embraced the other woman. Abbie had a very comfortable relationship with the intruder, the kind of relationship Jenny often wised she had with Abbie but never had the courage to pursue.

She finally joined the group and tentatively extended her hand to Bear. Bear happily sniffed her and demanded an ear scratch as well. She looked up from the dog to see Joss smiling at her. Jenny set her jaw and defiantly stuck her hand out to the interloper. "I'm Jenny, Abbie's sister."

Joss was not the least bit put out off by Jenny's less-than-friendly attitude. She smiled warmly and shook Jenny's hand. "I'm glad to meet you," she said and even sounded sincere to Jenny, who was looking for any excuse to not like the woman.

John was watching Jenny carefully as she introduced herself and she glared at him in return. "Is there something wrong, Wolf?"' she asked harshly.

John smirked at her. "I know you. From Somalia."

Jenny's eyes grew wide and then narrowed. "I don't remember seeing you."

John's smirk grew wider. "That's because you didn't."

Jenny gaped at him, but Reese had already turned to Abbie. "We need to see the scene of the latest attack," he said briskly.

Abbie nodded. "We thought you would. Our captain is waiting for us there. Crane and I will take my car and you can follow us."

Reese nodded and climbed back into his SUV without another word. Joss gave Abbie another hug and climbed in next him.

Abbie pulled her car keys from her pocket and started walking to her car. Jenny fell into step next to her. "I don't trust them, especially the tall guy."

Abbie snorted. "He got the drop on you in Somalia, didn't he?"

Jenny just glared at her sister and got in the back seat.

* * *

They met Captain Irving at the scene of the latest attack and Crane walked them back through the trail he and Abbie had followed the previous day. Their progress was slow as John stopped several times to look over something on the flora along the trail. Finally, they reached the campsite and John closely examined the paw print.

Shaw took one look at it and whistled. "That Wolf is even bigger than Reese."

"It's not Wolf," John growled low in this throat. "Did you notice this print glowing, by chance?" he asked Crane.

Crane shook his head. "No, there was nothing unusual about it except the size."

"How much time elapsed between the attack and when you found this?" The Alpha Wolf stared at Crane intensely, making Crane just the slightest bit uncomfortable.

Abbie answered, "The coroner estimated the victim had been dead for about six hours before we found him."

"If this isn't Wolf, what is it John?" Joss asked quietly, feeling her mate's apprehension.

John looked up into his mate's eyes. "Hell Hounds," he said curtly. "This paw print would have glowed for a couple of hours after it was made, and I noticed some scorched leaves on our way here."

"Fuck," Shaw snarled.

"Do you have experience with Hell Hounds?" Crane asked Reese calmly.

John nodded as he stood up. "When I was in Special Forces in Afghanistan. A local shaman raised a pack that killed several of my men before we were able to take them, and him, out."

"What can you tell us about these demons?" Crane questioned.

"They are demonic dogs the size of ponies, made of fire and brimstone. They can be killed, but they're tough. They're raised in groups of three."

"There's _three_ of them?" Abbie gulped. Some days she really hated being a Witness.

John nodded. "Remember the stories of Cerberus the three headed dog? That's probably where the legend came from."

"Because one Hell Hound with three heads is _so_ much better than three Hell Hounds," Fusco stated sarcastically.

John shrugged and smirked at then pudgy detective. "Since I have never faced a three headed Hell Hound, I wouldn't know."

Fusco merely groaned and rolled his eyes.

"How did you destroy the Hell Hounds in Afghanistan Mr. Reese?" Crane asked.

"A couple of us went Wolf and ripped the throat out of one. We shot the second; it took several Special Forces soldiers armed with fully automatic weapons to take it down. That last one we ran over with a tank."

"What is a tank?" Crane whispered to Abbie.

"It's a large armored vehicle, very heavy and perfect for squashing Hell Hounds," John answered with amusement.

Crane looked a bit embarrassed. "I forgot about Wolf hearing. My apologies, Mr. Reese, I did not mean to be rude."

John smirked. "Don't worry; we've been briefed on your… situation."

Abbie frowned. "Getting back to the topic of the day, I can promise you there're no tanks in Sleepy Hollow, so we will have to find another way to get rid of them."

"We also have to figure out who raised them in the first place," John growled with his arms folded across his chest, blue eyes cold and hard. "Otherwise, they can just raise more."

"If I may suggest a plan," Mr. Finch interjected.

The four Wolves immediately turned to the man with the dog and waited for him to speak. The Sleepy Hollow contingent was a bit surprised that a physically handicapped man commanded so much attention and respect from the powerful Wolves, but they wisely remained quiet. Obviously, they had brought this man along for a reason, despite his physical handicaps.

"I would suggest Mr. Reese, Detectives Carter and Fusco and Miss Shaw assume their Wolf forms tonight and track the Hell Hounds. Lt. Mills, Captain Irving and Miss Mills, I am assuming are proficient with firearms, so they can back up the Wolves. I don't know what kinds of weaponry are available to the Sleepy Hollow police department, but knowing Mr. Reese and Miss Shaw, I'm sure they have brought their usual arsenal with them." Finch paused and looked at the two ex-operatives, who both nodded, confirming his assumption. "Excellent. Combing Wolf power with firepower seems to be the best way to destroy the beasts with our available resources."

"Excellent plan, Mr. Finch," Captain Irving agreed.

John led the group back to his SUV. He opened the back and flipped up the false floor to display the arsenal he and Shaw had packed prior to their trip to Sleepy Hollow.

Captain Irving let out a long low whistle. "Impressive arsenal, never before have I seen so many laws broken in such a small space." He paused. "Dibs on the AK-47."

John shrugged. "We need firepower and_ legal_ firepower isn't going to be enough to stop Hell Hounds." John picked up an automatic weapon and handed it to Jenny. "I know you know how to use this one."

Jenny examined it happily. "Similar to the one I used in Somalia."

"Identical," John corrected with a smirk as Jenny glared at him.

"May I make a suggestion?" Crane asked.

"Go ahead Mr. Crane," Mr. Finch said.

"We should carve holy symbols into the bullets we will be using. We will be facing some very powerful demons in these Hell Hounds. I think additional precautions are called for."

John nodded his head in agreement. "That makes sense. We have a few hours before dark, we can return to the cabin and prepare there."

Finch turned to Crane. "You and I seem to be the only ones here who do not have proficiency with modern weapons; I would suggest you and I begin the process of trying to discover who called forth these demons."

Crane bowed. "Of course and I know just the place to begin our search."

* * *

** John mentioned this incident to Kohl in the season 1 episode _Foe_


	3. Chapter 3

**Raising Demons**

Crane guided Finch back to the archives and led him into the building. Finch carried his briefcase with him as they entered. He set it on a table as they entered and pulled a laptop out of it.

"I am assuming you have suspects in mind?" Finch asked politely as his computer booted.

Crane nodded. "No I don't, but I know who might. However, consulting with her will be problematic."

Finch tilted his head to the side. "May I ask why?"

Crane shifted uncomfortably. "I'm afraid you might find it hard to believe, Mr. Finch."

Finch smiled softly. "Mr. Crane, I believe you are indeed a Revolutionary War soldier who was held in stasis for over two hundred years. I don't think anything you tell me would be that far of a leap."

Crane blinked. "Excellent point. The person I need to consult is my wife, Katrina. She is the one who saved my life by casting that spell that allowed me to revive in this century."

Finch nodded. "She sounds like a very powerful witch and exactly what we need."

Crane nodded. "Yes, she is. However she is being held captive in Purgatory and the only way I can speak with her is to be close to death."

"You have spoken with her before?" Finch asked curiously.

Crane nodded. "Twice. Once when I was ill from a plague and then again when the Sin Eater nearly choked me to death."

Finch raised an eyebrow. "Sin Eater? You do have some interesting acquaintances, Mr. Crane. However, I do know of a way to get you to your wife that I hope will be easier on you than your previous methods." Finch tapped his earpiece. "Miss Shaw, please have Lt. Mills bring you to us and bring your medical supplies."

"Rodger Finch, I'll be there as soon as I can."

Finch tapped his earpiece again to cut the connection and noticed Crane staring at his ear with a puzzled expression. With a smile Finch removed his earpiece and held it out in his open palm so Crane could examine it. "It's an earpiece tied to our cell phones. My colleagues and I use these to keep in touch while keeping our hands free."

Crane curiously poked at the tiny earpiece, then stepped back and shook his head. "Modern technology baffles me at times, I'm afraid. Thank you for your patience, Mr. Finch."

* * *

A short while later, Abbie escorted Shaw into the archive. Shaw was carrying a rather large case.

"What cha need?" Shaw asked cheerfully.

"Mr. Crane needs to speak with his wife in purgatory," Finch began to explain before he was cut off.

"No!" hissed Abbie.

Finch looked at her with a questioning look. Abbie was clearly upset and Finch wasn't quite sure why.

"Do you know what that means?" Abbie asked, her eyes flashing with anger.

Finch looked at Abbie kindly, understanding her reluctance. "Yes, Mr. Crane explained to me that it means we have to put him in a state very close to death, which is why I asked Miss Shaw to bring her medical case with her.

"Lieutenant, Miss Shaw graduated from medical school and has had extensive experience in the field. I would not ask Mr. Crane to do to this if I didn't have the utmost confidence in her skills. I assure you she can put Mr. Crane in the necessary near death state and revive him without injury," Finch explained to the agitated officer as gently as he could.

Abbie shook her head fiercely, not trusting herself to speak without crying, and went to stand with her back to the rest of the occupants of the room while she struggled with her emotions.

Crane stared at his upset partner's back for a minute. "Mr. Finch, Miss Shaw, would you be so kind as to give us our privacy for moment? I would like to speak with Lieutenant Mills, if I may," Crane asked quietly.

Finch nodded and left the room with a somewhat reluctant Shaw in tow.

Crane went to stand behind Abbie and rested his hands on her shoulders. "I have to do this," he said softly. Gently he put pressure on her shoulders, trying to get her to turn around.

Abbie bowed her head, but resisted his gentle attempt to turn her around so her back remained to him. "How many times do I have to watch you nearly die?" she whispered. "Someday, you won't be able to come back…"

"We are Witnesses, and this is our burden to bear. I must do this, I must find out who is raising these demons." Ichabod's hands gently massaged her shoulders. "Abbie, please…"

Crane's rare use of her first name had the desired effect. Abbie's breath hitched and her resolve crumbled. He increased the pressure and forced her to turn so he could hold her in a tight hug against his lean frame. "I won't leave you to face the Apocalypse alone, I promise."

Abbie nodded her head and looked up at him, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "I know." Crane gave her one last hug and then called Shaw and Finch back into the room.

They spread a blanket on the floor and Crane lay down. Shaw took a bottle from her case and drew a clear liquid into a syringe.

"This is a strong sedative. I'm going to give you an overdose. This," she said drawing another syringe, "will counteract the sedative. I'll have to time it just right so that you get close enough to death to pay a visit to your wife, but not too long that you cohabitate again."

"Thank you, Miss Shaw. As much as I would like to be reunited permanently with my dear wife, my task here is far from complete." Crane said politely.

Abbie sat in a chair away from the blanket, not wanting to be a possible distraction for Shaw. She remained quiet as Shaw injected her co-witness with the sedative. Just before the drug took effect, Crane looked over at Abbie and smiled reassuringly. Abbie smiled back and then Crane's eyes closed.

Abbie stared at him as his breathing slowed. Finch sat next to her and took her hand in his. She gave him a thin smile and they watched together as Crane slipped away.

* * *

Crane found himself standing in the familiar misty forest as his wife appeared before him.

"Ichabod!" she cried and threw herself into his arms. He held her for a minute then gently kissed her. "How are you here? Are you dying?" Katrina asked with concern.

"I haven't much time," he said. "A friend gave me a powerful narcotic and will administer the antidote in moments. But I need to ask you, who has been raising Hell Hounds? They have already killed several people and I must stop them."

Katrina nodded. "Raising demons requires powerful magic and the knowledge to control such powerful forces. There was more than one coven in Sleepy Hollow and one of them was dedicated to dark magic. Some of the members of that coven have prolonged their lives using magic and they continue to live, even unto the time where you now reside. One of them has called forth the Hell Hounds and will continue to bring forth demons if you do not stop them. Look for one of three names: Jones, Barrington or Percy. It must be one of them."

Suddenly, Crane felt a prick on his neck and he started to slide backwards away from Katrina. Shaw must have administered the antidote. "NO!" he cried. "I'm not done here!"

Katrina called after him as he slid away from her, "Be careful, Ichabod! They have grown very powerful after so many years!"

* * *

Crane awoke with a start and he took a deep ragged breath.

"Whoa, careful there Prime Minister," he heard Miss Shaw say as his body jerked. He felt hands on him holding him down.

"Crane!" he heard Abbie's voice say. He turned his head and saw her kneeling next to him; her beautiful eyes open wide with worry.

Crane tried to talk, to reassure her that he was fine, but no words would come. His head was gently raised and a straw was placed between his lips. He gratefully sipped some water and he looked up see that it was Abbie who was holding him and the water glass. As dizzy and disoriented as he was, he knew everything would be alright as long as she was there. He smiled weakly at her. "I'll be fine in a few minutes, Lieutenant," he managed to croak out.

Shaw checked his vitals and gave Finch the thumbs up. "He's fine. He just needs to rest for a few hours."

Shaw watched as Abbie held Crane's head. Abbie's didn't try to hide the concern on her face as Ichabod closed his eye and took a few deep breaths in an attempt to clear his head. Shaw couldn't help comparing the look Abbie was giving Crane to the looks Joss would get when John was injured. She got a strong sense of déjà vu as Abbie gave Crane another sip of water and brushed some hair out of his face.

Shaw glanced over at Finch who was also watching the couple intently. Finch felt Shaw's eyes on him and he turned to his employee. The look at passed between plainly said that they were both seeing the same thing.

"Did you see Katrina?" Abbie asked Crane softly.

Crane sipped his water and then nodded. "There was another coven in Sleepy Hollow, rival to Katrina's, but dedicated to evil. Followers of Moloch."

Shaw sniffed with disdain. "Why would anyone follow a demon?"

"Power and riches, Miss Shaw," Finch said. "Demons promise their followers whatever they want."

Crane took another long pull on the water Abbie was holding for him. "In this case. Moloch seems to have promised eternal life as well. According to Katrina, three members of that coven are still alive today."

Shaw gaped. "They would be like 250, 300 years old by now."

"Yes Miss Shaw and we have to find them before they raise more Hell Hounds," Crane sighed.

Shaw frowned. "How you go about finding a witch? I mean Sleepy Hollow ain't New York, but it's still a decent sized town."

The room fell silent for a few minutes while they contemplated that problem. After a few minutes had passed, a sly smile formed on Finch's face. "I think I have a solution to the problem."


	4. Chapter 4

**Hell Hound**

As the sun sank below the horizon, the Wolves ducked into the bushes, removed their clothes and changed from their human form. They emerged from the bushes in Wolf form after only few minutes.

Crane was surprised at how easy it was to tell who was who. Mr. Reese was obviously the big salt and pepper Wolf, while Detective Carter was the much smaller black Wolf that was at his side. They were followed by Detective Fusco who was a grumpy-looking, stocky red-brown Wolf and then Shaw who was a small, medium-brown Wolf.

Abbie gasped when she saw the Wolves. "Joss you're gorgeous!" she exclaimed. To Crane, it looked like the black Wolf was quite pleased with the compliment. He watched as Abbie reached out to scratch Joss behind the ears while the black wolf sighed with happiness and leaned into her hand.

Crane's attention was averted from Lieutenant Mills and Detective Carter by the sound of Irving slamming a clip into his gun. Crane could not help but notice that Captain Irving seemed pretty happy with the very large weapon that Mr. Reese had given him.

"OK people," Irving boomed, "the plan is pretty simple, the Wolves will herd the Hell Hounds down to us and we shoot them until they die. Any questions?"

No one had any questions, so the Wolves bounded away into the woods to begin their hunt.

"I hope this plan works," Jenny said in a tone of voice that plainly conveyed that she didn't think it would work.

Abbie raised an eyebrow at her younger sister. "You got a better idea?"

Jenny sulked and kept quiet indicating that she didn't have a better idea. She really just didn't want to follow orders from Reese, or any of the New Yorkers.

Irving snorted. "Well since I'm not hearing any better ideas, I suggest we get ready for the Wolves to bring us a Hell Hound to kill."

Irving carefully arranged everyone in different areas of the clearing so that the entire clearing was covered. No matter what direction the Hell Hound came from, someone could start shooting immediately.

Crane stood next to Abbie, holding a huge handgun. Abbie had been drilling him on modern handguns and he felt comfortable enough with the weapon to feel he could be trusted with it.

"Do you think Finch's plan will work?" Abbie asked anxiously as her eyes scanned the brush.

Crane nodded. "From what I know, the idea is sound. Hell Hounds do seem to be susceptible to modern weaponry, and Mr. Reese does have experience in destroying them."

Abbie glanced over at her partner. "I sense a 'but' coming on."

Crane sighed, she knew him too well. "But the Wolves are taking a huge risk. Hell Hounds are vicious and unpredictable. Herding the Hound to us will put them in considerable danger."

Abbie's head turned to him, and despite the dark, Crane could see the worry in her huge brown eyes. He hastened to reassure her. "Do not worry Lieutenant, the Wolves are smart and Mr. Reese is experienced."

Abbie nodded and looked back at the brush, but Crane knew she was still worried. Truthfully, so was he.

* * *

John set a brisk pace through the brush. The Wolves normally were quite vocal during a run, but tonight was no ordinary run; they were hunting a deadly prey, so they needed to be completely quiet. John glanced over at his mate as she ran easily beside him. Silently, he said a prayer that she would remain unharmed tonight.

It took nearly an hour, but finally the Wolves got a whiff of brimstone. John paused, his nose testing the air as he determined the direction and distance to the demon. He turned to Shaw and Fusco and jerked his head to one side. They nodded to show they understood their Alpha's orders. They split into two groups─ John and Joss heading to the east and Shaw and Fusco heading to the west. They stealthily approached from downwind to assure that the beast would not realize they were there until it was too late.

They found the Hell Hound minutes later, ripping a deer to pieces. The beast was huge, nearly twice as a big as John who was the largest Wolf amongst them. Its fur was midnight black with no trace of shine. Its eyes and mouth glowed eerily red and its lips couldn't quite close over its enormous teeth. Its growls had an otherworldly quality that clearly telegraphed its supernatural origins.

This was the first time Joss had been in the presence of another supernatural creature who was not Wolf, and she was surprised to discover that she could feel the presence of the beast with her Wolf sense. Tentatively she reached out to get a better a feel for the beats and she instantly regretted it. The sensation she felt from the huge demon was overwhelmingly evil and she hastily pulled back. _Won't be doing that again_, she thought to herself and she made a mental note to ask John if he felt the creature too.

Swiftly, John charged the beast from behind biting furiously at its back legs. The Hound turned on him, but Joss raced in, ripping a chunk of fur out of its unprotected side. The Hound turned towards her, but Fusco and Shaw attacked from the other side.

The battle with the Hell Hound continued for several minutes with the Wolves each rushing in, biting and snapping at the Hound, and dancing away as it turned to attack another Wolf. By using this method of attack, they managed to slowly herd the Hound towards the clearing where Irving, Crane, and the Mills Sisters were waiting with their heavy duty firepower.

Just before they reached the clearing where the Sleepy Hollow team was waiting, the Hell Hound broke its pattern. It had been Joss's turn to attack the creature, but instead of turning to attack Fusco as he darted in, it continued to attack Joss, ignoring the red-brown Wolf desperately tearing at its side.

John watched in horror as the Hell Hound seized his mate in its jaws and pinned her to ground with one enormous paw. Shaw and Fusco viciously attacked the Hell Hound's unprotected flank, but the Hound continued to tear at Joss, completely ignoring them. John lunged at the Hound's head, snapping at his eyes and nose. The hound lifted its head to snarl a challenge at the Alpha, but did not release the black Wolf. John renewed his attack, slamming his body into the demon and physically pushing the Hound off his mate.

At that point, John lost all conscious thought and was running purely on instinct and anger. He simply went berserk with the need to save his mate. When Shaw asked him about it later, he honestly didn't remember much. The only thing he could remember was that everything had gone red. All he knew was that he had to save Joss; everything else was pure Wolf instinct.

Crane, Irving, Jenny and Abbie, hearing Joss's cry of pain when the Hound seized her in its jaws, came running with their weapons at the ready, but were unable to fire because they were afraid of hitting John. They watched in amazement as the salt and pepper Wolf attacked the larger Hell Hound in a blood-frenzy to protect his mate. The fury the Alpha Wolf unleashed awed the humans with its relentless ferocity.

The Hound and John slammed together, biting and tearing at each other until John sank his teeth into the Hound's neck. With a mighty effort, John braced his paws against the beast's body and ripped a huge chunk out of the demon's throat. The Hound screamed in pain, a sound that made the humans and Wolves shudder with fear. It thrashed a couple of times and then lay still. A couple of seconds later, the Hell Hound burst into flames and burned intensely for about a minute before the flames died out, leaving only a pile of ash and a circle of scorched earth behind.

* * *

John never saw the Hound die; he raced to his mate and morphed back to human form, kneeling next to her. She had reverted back to human form when she had sunk into unconsciousness. Her side was completely torn open and there were numerous bite marks on her neck, shoulder, and arm. John had several bleeding wounds on him as well, but he ignored them to tend to his wounded mate. He tried to staunch the bleeding from the gaping wound in her side while tears ran down his cheeks.

John gathered her in his arms. "I'm here, I'm here, hold on baby," his voice choked off as he kissed her forehead.

Crane took his coat off and threw it over the naked Wolves as Joss started to shiver violently. He saw the wound in Joss's side and shuddered. He was well accustomed to battle wounds and hers looked as bad as any he had ever seen. While he knew medical science had advanced greatly in the over two centuries he had been asleep, he still despaired for the life of the she Wolf. Judging from the reaction of her mate, John knew the wound was most likely fatal as well.

Then Crane noticed the bite mark on John's arm closing. "Mr. Reese… your arm," he gasped.

John looked at his arm in surprise and then pulled back Crane's coat to reveal the wound on Joss's side closing over as well. Joss's eyes fluttered open and she moaned. John held her tighter and bowed his head as he fought for control of his emotions. The Sleepy Hollow contingent quietly withdrew back to the clearing to give them some privacy.

"Lionel, please bring us our clothes," John said softly with his face buried in Joss's hair.

The red-brown wolf nodded and scurried off through the forest, followed closely by the smaller brown wolf, leaving John and Joss alone.

"How do you feel, love?" John asked cupping her cheek in his hand.

Joss looked up into his eyes in confusion. "Like I got bit by a pissed off Hell Hound. What happened?"

"The Hound nearly killed you, but your wounds healed when it died." Another tear escaped and rolled down John's check.

Joss reached up and gently wiped it away. "I'm fine baby, just sore right now."

John didn't say anything; he just held her tight until Fusco and Shaw returned with their bag of clothing. The two Wolves left to morph back to human form themselves and get dressed. John helped Joss get her clothes on since she was still stiff and sore from her ordeal, then swiftly pulled on his own clothes before helping his aching mate to the car. The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon as they entered the clearing where everyone was waiting for them.

John handed Crane his coat. "Thank you," he said.

Crane smiled and bowed slightly. "It was my pleasure."

Abbie came up to Joss her eyes showing her concern for her friend. "Are you OK?"

Joss smiled tiredly. "Considering a demonic dog used me for a chew toy, I feel pretty good."

Irving looked up the sun. "With the sun coming up, the other two Hell Hounds will be laying low until sundown. I suggest we all get some rest and meet up at the Archives later to begin tracking the witch that summoned these demons. Hopefully, Mr. Finch will have something for us by then."

"See you around lunch time then," John said as he scooped Joss up into his arms and started walking to the car.

"John, I can walk!" Joss yelped.

"You nearly died!" John snapped as they vanished into brush in the direction of the vehicles.

Fusco slowly started following them. "Great, they're going to argue all the way back to the hotel now," he grumbled.

Shaw fell into step next to him. "How do you think I feel? I have the room next door to them, they'll probably argue half the morning," she said glumly. "And then if that isn't bad enough, they'll start kissing and make up. I'll never get any sleep then."

Irving and Jenny followed Fusco and Shaw. Both of them looked like they were trying suppress their laughter.

Abbie walked slowly behind everyone else, her face pensive. Crane noticed and fell back with her. "Is everything alright, Lieutenant?" he asked with some concern.

Abbie nodded. "I'm fine Crane. Just thinking how much John cares for Joss. Even my own parents never cared that much about me or Jenny."

Crane took her hand and squeezed it gently. "Wolf pairs have a very powerful bond. However, I can promise you that if you are ever mauled by a Hell Hound, I will carry you to the car."

Abbie giggled. "I'll hold you to that, Crane."


	5. Chapter 5

**Soul Mates**

John woke up several hours later to the sound of Joss taking a shower. Lying on his back staring at the ceiling, he tried not to think about the events of the previous night. He shuddered at the thought of Joss gripped in the jaws of that demon.

He heard the shower shut off and a few minutes later Joss emerged from the bathroom, naked. She dug in the overnight bag until she found her bottle of lotion and began her morning ritual of moisturizing. John raised himself to one elbow as he watched her rub the fragrant lotion into her arms. She felt his intense stare, turned to him with a coy smile and handed him the lotion.

"Make yourself useful," she purred before stretching out on the bed on her stomach.

John squirted some of the lotion into his hands and rubbed them together to warm it up. He straddled the back of her thighs and began rubbing her back with his elegant, strong hands. Joss almost purred in delight; she loved it when John did this.

John's fingers began slowly creeping further down her sides until he was touching the sides of her breasts. "Don't think I don't feel that." Joss tried to sound grouchy, but John heard the smile in her voice. He grinned and slid his hands under her so he could squeeze her breasts while he kissed her shoulders.

Joss gasped as John's kisses burned a path across her back and his fingers pinched her nipples. She arched her back and moaned as her body responded to her mate. Through their mating bond, her arousal fueled his, and his fueled hers.

"Turn over," John whispered in her ear. Joss did so, reaching for him, but he moved away. Shifting down to her legs, he squirted more lotion on his hands and slowly began massaging the lotion into her limbs. Starting at her feet, he slowly, torturously worked his way up until he was almost grazing her sex. Joss gasped and squirmed, hoping to maneuver herself so that he touched her folds, but he only smiled and started working on the other leg. Carefully, he worked his way up the leg, thoroughly rubbing the jasmine scented lotion into every inch of her skin.

By the time John reached her heat again, Joss was making mewling sounds that had her mate smiling. "So eager," he purred as his hand reached the junction between her legs.

"John," was all Joss could manage to say and his talented fingers lightly brushed her swollen clit. There was something about the way she moaned that caused John to snap. Suddenly, he was top of her with his cock poised at her entrance. He was done teasing, he wanted her. He had come too close to losing her; he needed to reestablish his connection to her.

He gently entered her, aware that she was probably still a bit stiff and sore from her mauling the previous night. He tenderly kissed her while he set a steady pace. Once again he marveled at how perfect, how right, coupling with his mate felt.

Slowly, John built Joss to climax while she undulated under him. He wanted her to cum first; he wanted her to know she was loved and cherished. This was about him showing her how much she meant to him after her ordeal the previous night. This was about him reassuring himself that she was still with him, that he hadn't lost her.

Joss came, gasping his name. He felt her tighten around him and allowed her body to milk him dry a few thrusts later. He buried his face in the junction of her neck and shoulder and breathed in her jasmine scent, just drinking her in.

"I'm not made of glass, John." Joss's voice, still husky with sex, pulled him back into the moment.

John raised his head and gazed down at her. She smiled up at him, her eyes dancing.

He put his weight on his right elbow and stroked her face with his left. "I know," he said softly. "I knew you would still be sore after last night."

"I'm fine."

"I know that, too. I just… just…" His voice hitched, thinking of her being trapped in the mouth of the Hell Hound. Tears pooled in his eyes.

Joss wrapped her arms around him and held him for a good long time. Nothing more needed to be said.

* * *

Fusco found Shaw sitting in the little café in the lobby of their hotel staring morosely into her coffee while she listlessly nibbled from a plate of eggs and sausage.

"Have a bad night?" he enquired cheerfully as he slid into the booth across from her.

Shaw gave him a long hard look and then sighed, putting her head down on the table. "Our glorious Alphas were in fine form last night. I had to sleep in the bathtub with the bathroom door shut."

Fusco snorted and took a sip of the coffee the waitress placed in front of him. "Let me guess." He lowered his voice down to a decent imitation of John's whispery voice. "Joss you nearly died, I can't lose you." Then he raised his voice to a falsetto, "John, I'm a cop! I know what I'm doing!"

Shaw didn't lift her head from the table, but pointed to him in a "you got it" gesture.

Fusco looked quite smug as he studied the menu. "I've been listening to it longer than you. I know the drill."

Shaw lifted her head from the table and glared at him. "Had it just been an argument, I could have dealt with it. That part was over pretty quickly."

Fusco looked up from his menu in surprise. His eyebrows had traveled up his forehead almost all the way to his receding hairline. "Loud and lusty make up sex?"

Shaw nodded sadly.

Fusco burst out laughing. "I had always pegged Joss as a screamer. The goody two shoes always are."

Shaw groaned. "Not only is our beloved Alpha female a screamer, but our illustrious Alpha male is a love machine who can go for hours. How those two do it home without waking up the baby is a mystery to me. They must drug the kid."

Fusco was unable to respond. He was laughing too hard and tears were pouring down his cheeks. Of course, Finch would pick that moment to make an appearance.

"What's so funny?" he asked innocently as he slid into the booth next to Shaw. Bear, wearing his "Canine Companion" vest, crawled under the table and accepted a tidbit of sausage from Shaw.

Fusco wiped his eyes. "Let's just say that the Wonder Couple have made up."

"That's good." Finch glanced over at Shaw. "You look tired Miss Shaw."

Shaw fed Bear another piece of sausage. "I have the room next to them."

Finch looked at Shaw's tired appearance and Fusco could see the wheels turning in the billionaire's head. After a few seconds, his eyes grew wide as he figured it out.

"Congratulations, you really are a genius," Shaw grumbled as she saw the look of comprehension on the face of her employer.

Finch blinked and picked up his menu. "I'm just glad everything is alright between them. Mr. Reese would have been devastated if we had lost Detective Carter last night…" he briefly paused. "We would have lost him, too."

Fusco turned somber. "I never saw him before you and Joss cleaned him up, when he was still grieving that gal who got killed by her husband."

Shaw actually looked interested. "I haven't heard that story," she said before she snuck Bear another bite of sausage.

"Please stop feeding Bear, Miss Shaw," Finch requested, but didn't lift his eyes from the menu. "Mr. Reese left a woman he loved very much because she couldn't accept him for what he was, a protector and a Wolf. She was subsequently murdered by the man she married in place of Mr. Reese."

Fusco picked up the narrative that he'd heard from Carter. "She had called John to ask for help, but he got sent on the mission to Ordos and wasn't able to save her. When John returned to the states and found out that she was dead, he crawled into the gutter with a bottle to cope. Joss said he looked pretty bad the first time she saw him."

Finch set down his menu and folded his hands. He stared off into space as he spoke. "He was suicidal; he really had lost all hope. Joss was able to reach him during their initial meeting, and give him back that hope. He accepted my offer of employment and the rest, as they say, is history.

"However, my point is, if losing someone he loved but wasn't bonded to could send him into a nearly hopeless suicidal depression; think what losing his bonded mate would do."

Shaw and Fusco sat quietly, both thinking of how John had taken on the Hell Hound by himself in a desperate attempt to save his Joss. They also remembered the look of utter grief and hopelessness on his face when he thought she was dying. They both shuddered as they thought about what almost happened the previous night. They had come within a hair's breath of losing two friends and colleagues.

Shaw didn't show it, but she was deeply affected by Finch's story. She had been born Wolf and had known many bonded pairs during her life, but she had always felt there was something different about John and Joss, though she had never quite been able to put her finger on it. She thought that it might have been because of Joss's unusually strong Wolf sense matched by John's natural intensity. But now she knew what has different about her friends.

As an ex-operative herself, she understood all too well how the work she and John used to do could eat away at you and destroy your soul, even if you were convinced the work you were doing was for the greater good. She understood just how broken John must have been when he first met the woman who became his mate. Mating with Joss had actually helped to heal John's battered soul. She had filled in the missing and broken pieces of John; without her, there would be no John. Shaw had heard the phrase, "You complete me," before and had dismissed it as romantic twaddle. She had no patience for romantic twaddle, but now she understood that in this case, that phrase was the literal truth.

Shaw recalled a conversation she had had once with John on a stakeout. John had called Joss his 'anchor'. Shaw thought it was an odd way to refer to the love of your life and the mother of your children, but after hearing John's back story, she got it now. Joss grounded him and gave him a foundation he had never had before.

Suddenly, all the screaming she had heard the previous night didn't bother her any more.

* * *

Ichabod Crane looked up from his book as Abbie Mills walked into the Archive carrying two coffees and a bag. She grinned at him and held the bag up, swinging it gently back and forth. "Doughnut hole?" she asked cheerfully, her eyes twinkling. She already knew the answer to that question.

Crane smiled fondly at his partner. The morning sun was streaming in through the window, surrounding her face with a heavenly glow. A face that was committed to his eidetic memory so that he had a very hard time forgetting about her when he was alone with his thoughts. Large round brown eyes, button nose, full lips. She looked absolutely breathtaking and Crane had to mentally shake himself to keep from staring open-mouthed.

He hopped up quickly before he made a fool of himself. "Thank you, Miss Mills. A doughnut hole sounds lovely right now." He took the bag from her and gulped when his hand brushed hers. They stood for a couple of seconds staring into each other's eyes.

Abbie broke eye contact, blushing, but she turned toward Crane's discarded book so swiftly he didn't see the pink on her cheeks. "What were you reading?" she asked quickly as she ran her hands over the embossed leather covering.

Crane swallowed his first doughnut hole, a blissful smile on this face. "I was trying to find out as much as I could about Hell Hounds. I was hoping to find a less perilous way to kill them and avoid a repeat of last night."

Abbie shuddered as she thought of her friend locked in the jaws of the demon. "Please tell me you were successful."

Crane took another treat. "No, I'm afraid Mr. Reese was quite correct. From what I have read in these books, there is no other way to destroy these beasts. There is no spell that will them send them back to Hell that I can find."

Abbie turned to Crane. "So the Wolves have to put themselves in danger again?"

Crane looked unhappy. "Yes. But they have some experience now and so do we. We will do better tonight, Lieutenant."

"I hope so. I don't really want to see Joss get torn up again, or the look in John's eyes when he thinks she's going to die..." Abbie's voice trailed off.

"You had nightmares about that last night?" Cranes asked her softly.

Abbie merely nodded without looking at him.

"I did too," Crane confessed. "Mr. Reese was extraordinarily brave to take on that Hell Hound by himself."

Abbie reached over and snagged a doughnut hole from the bag. "You said Wolves have a very strong bond. What did you mean by that?" she asked before popping the sweet treat into her mouth.

Crane pulled another old book from his stack. "You should probably ask Detective Carter about it. I only know what I've read in here. But it seems that when a Wolf pair bond, a psychic link is formed between them. The strength of the link appears to vary greatly among individuals, but in essence a bonded Wolf pair can feel what the other is feeling and know when they are close by. They are soul mates in every sense of the word."

"And John almost lost his soul mate last night." Abbie choked up and Crane almost could not hear what she was saying. "No wonder he single handedly destroyed that demon."

"Wolves are also highly protective of their mates, their family, and their pack. Mr. Reese reacted to the situation as a Wolf should. My understanding is that, as an Alpha, his protective instincts are even greater than the average Wolf."

"That's so beautiful," Abbie said, her voice heavy with longing as she stared out the window.

Crane looked at his partner. He knew she had not had a happy childhood, and the emotional estrangement from her sister weighed heavily her. Couple that with the loss of her sole father figure in Sherriff Corbin, the collapse of her friendship with Andy Brooks, and the end of her relationship with Luke Morales, he knew Abbie felt very alone in the world.

Crane knew how she felt. Everyone he had ever known was dead, except for his wife, who was currently trapped in Purgatory. He was trapped alone in a strange world and could only rely on a very few people. Wordlessly, he pushed the bag over to her.

"Thanks Crane," she said with a smile and popped one in her mouth.

They sat together, quietly eating doughnut holes and sipping their Starbucks.


	6. Chapter 6

**Witch Hunt**

The group convened at the archives around noon. Before joining the others, John and Joss stopped by the local pizzeria to pick up lunch for everyone. As they walked in, carrying the piping hot boxes, Shaw raised her nose and sniffed the air happily.

"That what I'm talking about!" she exclaimed as she hopped up from her seat. "Please say you got the Carnivore's Special?"

Reese smirked and handed over the top box of the stack. He was well aware of Shaw's eating habits and her likes and dislikes. Shaw opened it and let out a girlie squeal of delight. "I'm starving!" She dropped the box on the table next to Crane and snatched up a piece, nearly cramming the whole thing in her mouth, leaving a huge smear of tomato sauce across her cheek.

Crane watched her with the same expression on his face that he'd had when he saw the horseman for the first time. He offered her a napkin. "Here, Miss Shaw."

Shaw looked over at Crane and shook her head. "Naw, I'm good," she replied and wiped her face with her fingers, then licked them clean. "You want a piece? It's good!"

"No, thank you. I'm not hungry," Crane politely declined. Joss thought he looked a little nauseous.

Reese set the rest of the boxes on the table. "Behave Shaw, or we'll tie you to the top of the car for the trip home."

Shaw looked puzzled. "What? I was going to share!" Behind her, Fusco rolled his eyes and ran his hand over his face.

Finch decided to end this sibling argument before it got started. "I think I have managed to identify several properties that might be related to the individuals in the coven Mrs. Crane mentioned."

Abbie blinked. "How did you do that so fast? It would have taken us days, maybe even _weeks_ to go through all those property records."

Finch continued tapping away on his keyboard. "I decided that if someone had been alive for the past 250 years, they would need a place to eat, sleep and carry on their lives while they waited for the Apocalypse. They probably would never have sold their home, but would continue to live in it.

"Sleepy Hollow has computerized their property records, reaching back 50 years. So all that was required was a simple of search of the database for properties that had not been bought, sold, or inherited in that entire time," Finch explained.

Mid-bite in his slice of pizza, Irving paused and looked at Finch sharply. "Do I want to know how you got access to the property tax database?"

Finch gave Irving a bland look. "Probably not."

Irving rolled his eyes. "Forget I asked."

Finch turned his attention back to his screen. "Forgotten, Captain. As I said, there are three properties that are of interest to us. Each property is tied to one of the names that Mrs. Crane gave her husband." Finch wrote out three addresses and handed the slips of paper over to Reese.

Reese flipped quickly through the papers and frowned. "We'll have to split up to check these out."

Crane cleared his throat, drawing Reese's attention. "Mr. Reese, if I may make a suggestion? Each group should include at least one Wolf. As supernatural creatures, you are immune to many magical spells. It would give us an advantage over the witches."

Reese nodded. "Good idea. I'll take Crane and head for the Jones property. Joss, you and Shaw take the Lieutenant and check out the Barrington place. Fusco, you, Jenny and Captain Irving head for the Percy house."

"Excellent plan, Reese," Captain Irving agreed.

Everyone except Crane nodded in agreement. Crane did not think any plan that separated him from Lieutenant Mills was "excellent". Quite the opposite actually, and he frantically tried to find a hole in the Alpha Wolf's thinking so he could protest. This century was still new and strange to him and he had come to depend heavily on the lieutenant to negotiate it. The truth was he trusted her and cared for her deeply. Anything that kept them separated too long made him anxious.

However, he had to grudgingly accept that Reese's logic was quite sound and he could find no way around it. He would go with the Alpha Wolf. There _was_ one small mercy at least─ he was paired with Reese and not Miss Shaw.

Finch handed out satellite photos of each place. "All three places are in remote locations. These can help you navigate the landscape."

Crane looked at the picture in surprise. "Is there anything that is _not_ on this internet of yours, Mr. Finch?"

Finch smiled at him and answered, "Me."

Crane raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.

As they were walking out to the various vehicles, Crane said very quietly to Reese, "Thank you for not pairing me with the uncouth Miss Shaw…"

Unfortunately Crane, who was not used to being around Wolves, had forgotten take into account the superior Wolf hearing and Shaw heard him. "Hey, Icky," she snapped, "I have couth coming out of my ass!"

Crane pulled himself up to his full height and glared down his nose at the tiny ex-op. "My name is Icha_bod_, and I submit that your ass would NOT be the correct orifice for spouting couth, Miss Shaw."

"Owned," Fusco said out of the side of his mouth passing by Shaw as he walked out with Irving and Jenny. Shaw glared at his retreating back, but was unable to think of a snappy come back.

Reese smirked and hustled Crane out as fast as he could before Shaw could recover.

Shaw pouted and followed Joss and Abbie out to Abbie's car. "I have couth!" she grumbled.

"Of course you do," Joss soothed her. "We just need to work on your fork skills."

* * *

Reese drove out to the remote address that Finch had given him. They drove slowly by the place but were unable to see much from the road. "Do you know anything about this place?" Reese asked.

Crane shook his head. "The Joneses were loyalists. I did serve with the patriarch, Samuel Jones, for a brief time in the British Army before I switched sides. He was a hard, cruel man."

"Was he a warlock?" Reese asked as he parked the car down the road so that it could not be seen from the house.

Crane shrugged. "I have no idea, though I can easily see him as working for the forces of darkness. He loved power and he loved wielding it like a bludgeon."

Reese looked grim. "Let's put him out of business then."

They exited the SUV and made their way towards the house, using the brush and trees as cover to hide their approach. As they got closer to the place, John's Wolf sense felt the dark and powerful magic surrounding the place. It felt like tiny pricks on his skin and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

"We've definitely come to the right place," he growled as he pulled his gun from his waist band. "The property is surrounded by supernatural protection."

Crane gave John a short, sharp nod. "I can feel the evil that permeates this homestead."

They crept down the lane that led to the house until they could see the building. It looked to be in poor repair, but given the magic protecting the place, John surmised that was a mirage to discourage visitors.

They heard a rustling in the overgrown brush off to their left. John stopped and turned his nose and ears towards the sound.

"Hell hounds?" Crane asked.

John shook his head. "I don't smell brimstone, but this does smell like some sort of guard demon. Quiet please."

Crane obliged, letting Reese focus on the possible threat. Reese raised his weapon and fired. The creature screamed in pain and lunged out of the brush. Crane jumped back as a humanoid shaped demon with translucent skin and very long claws reached for them. John calmly held his ground and pumped a couple of more bullets into the demon until it exploded into a shower of dust.

"Reese, watch out!" Crane shouted as another demon, identical to the first, burst out the brush from their right side. John swiftly swung his gun around and pumped a couple of bullets into it as well. The second demon exploded into a shower of dust just as the first.

Two more of the guard demons broke from overgrowth and were similarly dispatched. Both men paused, listening for more creatures. After a few minutes Crane spoke, "I think you have killed all of them."

"Do you know how hard it is to summon those demons?" an ancient sounding voice snarled behind them.

John turned to see what appeared to be a middle aged man in a perfectly cut suit standing there. John moved so that he was right next to Crane.

"Hello Samuel," Crane said calmly.

Samuel Jones didn't even seem surprised to see Crane after more than two hundred years. "Well, well, it's the traitor. How's your dear wife?" the warlock sneered.

Crane's eyes went flat and cold, but he did not otherwise respond to Jones' taunt. "Why Samuel? Why serve the forces of Darkness?"

Jones looked at Crane like one would look at a child. "Simple, my dear Witness. I want to be on the winning side."

John could feel Jones gathering his power for a strike, as Crane talked with Jones. John, utilizing his Wolf reflexes, shoved Crane out of the way. He absorbed the hex Jones flung at Crane and fired the remainder of his clip at Jones. Every shot hit the warlock dead center in his chest. Jones looked down at his bloodied chest in surprise and then toppled over in slow motion. As soon as his body hit the ground, it shriveled up and turned to dust. The breeze slowly began blowing the dust away and in a very short time there was no sign of the wizard who had walked the Earth for nearly three hundred years.

"Are you alright Mr. Reese?" Crane enquired as he got up off the ground, brushing himself off.

Reese merely smirked. "You were right; some magic doesn't work on me."

Crane indicated a large hole with charred edges in Reese's shirt. "I suspect this would not have ended well for me. Thank you."

Reese shrugged. "Part of the job. Let's look around and see if this is where the Hell Hounds were raised."

Just like Reese had presumed, as soon as its owner passed away, the unsightly magical disguise covering the property fell away to reveal an old but very well maintained home with many of the modern comfort and conveniences of today. A quick search of the property turned up a pentagram permanently burned into the wood floor of the house's parlor, surrounded by candles. Reese and Crane stared down at the symbol and both could feel the evil that was an integral part of the house after two hundred plus years of unholy magic being performed within its walls.

Reese looked over at Crane. "We need to burn this house down."

Crane nodded his agreement. "I see no other way. Evil is too much a part of this place now to ever cleanse it."

Most people would be surprised by that fact that many common household substances are extremely flammable, and it came as no surprise to Crane that Reese was well versed in all of them. In no time, they had the house soaked in cooking oil, rubbing alcohol, and several chemical based cleaning agents.

On their way out the door, Reese dropped a lit match on the floor. Reese and Crane walked to the end of the lane and watched quietly as the house went up in flames. When it was completely engulfed, they returned to their SUV.

John tapped his earpiece. "Finch, Jones is dead and his house is burning to the ground now. How is everyone else doing?"

* * *

Joss, Shaw and Abbie crept around the perimeter of the Barrington property with their guns drawn. Shaw, however, was having trouble letting some things go.

"Am I really uncouth?" she grumbled to Joss as they skirted the edge of the property, eyes on the house.

Joss sighed and made a mental note to have a few choice words with Ichabod Crane when they got back. "Honey, don't worry about it. We can work on your couth later. But trust me, there is no one in the world I'd rather be with if I'm sneaking on up on a dangerous 300 hundred year old witch."

"I suppose this means I need to use silverware," Shaw groused.

Joss did not take her eyes off the house. "It would help. Now keep your mind on business."

Abbie, bringing up the rear felt the need to defend her co-witness. "Ichabod is still getting used to this century, Shaw He didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"Hey you two," Joss hissed in exasperation, "we're trying to sneak up on someone here."

They all fell quiet at that point. Joss waved Shaw and Abbie to go around to the left while she took the right.

Shaw led Abbie in a zigzag pattern through the bush as they stealthily approached the house.

Abbie heard a faint crackling like someone had taken a careless step behind her. She turned to see a woman who she assumed was Celia Barrington standing behind her like she hadn't a care in the world. After all, who else but Celia would be walking around in the woods around a deserted looking house? Celia looked like she was barely fifty and she was dressed in a blood red blouse and black slacks. To Abbie, she looked like she belonged in this century, not Ichabod's, but she supposed that after a few hundred years of blending in, Celia would be quite good at it.

Abbie raised her gun, but some force ripped it out of her hand. _Yep, that's Celia alright_, she thought to herself. Abbie found herself unable to move, she couldn't even speak. She was completely helpless in front of the powerful witch, who hadn't even uncrossed her arms.

Celia cocked her head to the side and studied Abbie for a minute. "I'm disappointed Miss Mills," the witch said in a bored tone. "I would have thought capturing the Second Witness would be a bit more… _challenging_."

Abbie struggled to speak to reply to the insult, but she was unable to. She couldn't even call for help from Joss and Shaw. She was completely frozen.

Celia Barrington smiled, revealing pointed gray teeth. Compared to the rest of her rather ordinary appearance, it was one of the creepier sights Abbie had seen in the daylight.

"Well, Witness, it's been fun, as they say in this century, but now it is time to rid ourselves of you. Moloch will be most pleased with me." Abbie felt her skin tingle slightly as the witch slowly gathered her powers to fling a killing hex at her as she stood there helpless.

_Oh God, no, not like this. Who will look after Ichabod_? Abbie thought as Celia raised her arms and muttered an incantation.

Just as the hex was released, Abbie saw a sudden movement on her left and Shaw was suddenly in front of her, absorbing the curse. The power the witch had unleased spun the small Wolf around and slammed her to the ground. Shaw landed heavily on her side with an "Oaf!" as the breath was knocked out of her.

"Wolf!" hissed Celia Barrington as she realized she had been thwarted.

"Worse,_ two _Wolves," Joss snarled from behind Celia. Celia spun to face her, but she was too late to strike at the Alpha She Wolf. Joss emptied her clip into Celia's chest and Celia fell dead. Abbie, suddenly released from the powerful magic spell, crumpled to the ground.

Joss stepped over Celia's body as it began the process of shriveling, drying and turning to dust. She helped Abbie to her feet. "Are you OK?" she asked with some concern, noting that her friend was quite pale.

Abbie nodded. "I'll be fine in a minute. I can feel the magic receding as we speak." She looked over at Shaw. "You OK, Shaw"

Shaw gave a little wave of her hand as she lay on her back and took deep breaths. "Yeah fine. Just had the wind knocked out of me. That was some heavy duty curse."

Abbie and Joss helped Shaw to her feet. "It was meant to kill me," Abbie said softly. "Thank you for taking the hit. You may not have a lot of couth, but you sure are brave."

Shaw took one last deep breath and rubbed the sore spot on her chest where the full power of the hex had hit her. "No prob, good thing your boyfriend was right about some magic not working on us."

"He's not my boyfriend," Abbie said with a slightly wistful tone to her voice.

Shaw looked at her sharply. "Could have fooled me. You should have seen the way he looked at you when John put you two in different groups."

"We're just friends," Abbie insisted stubbornly as she turned on her heel to walk towards the house.

Shaw opened her mouth to say something but Joss stopped her. "Leave it, Sam," the Alpha she-Wolf ordered as she started following Abbie.

"Why is love so fucked up?" Shaw grumbled as she followed the other two women. "No one can just say I love you. You have to dance around each other and waste time…"

The women performed a quick search of the house, but found nothing. "This place gives me the creeps," Shaw complained, shivering.

"This has been a place of evil for well over 200 years," Abbie said as she looked through the books in the study.

"It sure feels like it," Joss remarked as she pulled out a heavy and obviously very old tome. "What's this Abs?"

Abbie and Shaw looked around Joss as she flipped through the book. "Looks like a book of spells to me, let's take it back to the Archives, Crane will want to see this," Abbie said.

Joss handed Abbie the book. "Take this back to the car. Sam and I will torch this place and join you in a few minutes."

Less than 15 minutes later, Joss and Shaw hopped in the car where Abbie was waiting down the road.

"Did you burn it?" Abbie asked in confusion as she looked in the rear view mirror. She saw no smoke or flames.

"Not yet," Joss grinned.

"Shaw lifted her wrist to check her watch, "Ignition in 3…2…1." The car was rocked by a violent explosion and a flaming shingle landed in the road next to them.

"Those old gas water heaters were dangerous. I'm just sayin'," Shaw snickered. "Ol' Celia should have paid to have it upgraded in the past fifty years."

Abbie laughed as she started the car and drove away.

Joss tapped her earpiece. "Harold, we're leaving the Barrington place now. Celia Barrington is dead. Have you heard from the other teams?"

* * *

Fusco watched as Jenny's clever fingers made short work of the lock on the front of the Percy house. "Damn, you're almost as fast as John," he commented when she had the door open.

"What _is_ his deal anyway?" Jenny snapped. John's comments about Somalia had gotten into her head and would not get out.

Fusco shrugged. "Ex-CIA, one of the best from what I understand. He knows about twenty ways to kill you using only a paper clip."

"I know a few ways to kill you too," Jenny huffed.

Irving shook his head. "Jenny, trust me on this, I met a few dudes like Reese in the service. You know I respect your skills, but Reese is in a whole 'nother league."

Jenny made a rude noise, but dropped the subject.

Fusco, Jenny, and Irving searched the house thoroughly, but found nothing.

Fusco tapped his earpiece. "Finch, no one's home at the Percy place."

"That is disappointing to hear, Detective," Finch replied. "I would suggest that you destroy the place and return here."

Fusco looked around the poorly maintained old house and shivered at the evil that emulated from the place. Outwardly, the place still looked like the elegant home it had once been, but the centuries of evil and unspeakable acts committed here had penetrated the wood and were now the very essence of the place.

"We'll burn this place to the ground and meet you back at the Archives," Fusco said quietly as Irving and Jenny nodded and began looking for the best way to destroy the decrepit place.

Half an hour later the Percy home was a smoking ruin, and the trio was on their way back to the Archives.


	7. Chapter 7

**Unleash the Hounds (and the Wolves)**

Fusco, Jenny and Irving returned to the Archives first, followed by John and Ichabod several minutes later.

Ichabod looked around the room. "Where is Lieutenant Mills?" he asked, his voice betraying his anxiety.

John glanced over at him. "The ladies are fine. They're on their way here now."

Crane looked at John in surprise. "How could you know that?"

John smirked. "I have a very strong bond with my mate. Don't worry, they're fine."

Fusco snorted. "Don't sweat it, Crane. If the gilrs had run into trouble, the devil himself would not have been able to stop John from getting to Joss. You saw what happened last night."

"Do not underestimate the devil, Detective," Crane said stiffly.

Fusco laughed. "I'm not. But I know John and if it comes down to a fight between them over Joss, my money's on John. Ask that Hell Hound if you don't believe me."

John rolled his eyes. "Your faith in me is touching, Lionel." He turned to Crane and waved his hand in the direction of the street, "They just parked outside."

Joss, Abbie, and Shaw entered the Archives a minute later, looking none the worse for wear except for the hole burnt into Shaw's shirt. John indicated the hole in his own shirt. "I'll show you mine, if you show me yours."

Shaw gave John a wicked grin. "Mine's bigger. Let me guess, hex?"

John smirked back at her. "Good thing Crane was right."

Joss ran her forefinger around the charred edges of the hole in her mate's shirt. "Good thing we've learned to carry plenty of extra clothes with us." She kissed the bare skin showing through the hole, and then the Wolves stepped over to stand behind Finch.

While John and Shaw were comparing damage, Crane stood next to Abbie. "Are you alright, Lieutenant?" he asked softly.

Abbie nodded. "Yeah, thanks to Sam. She took the hit for me."

"As did Mr. Reese for me," Ichabod replied. "It seems you did the right thing by calling in the Wolves." He spotted Shaw exiting the ladies room after having changed her shirt. "Excuse me."

Crane strode over to the small Wolf. "Miss Shaw, I owe you an apology for my rather harsh words earlier. Lieutenant Mills tells me that you saved her life today. For that, I am grateful."

Shaw looked surprised at the emotion in Crane's voice. "You really like her don't you?"

Crane harrumphed a bit. "We are the Witnesses. We work together and depend on each other."

Shaw snorted and nodded her head in the direction of John and Joss. "John once told me same thing about him and Joss; he said they were _just friends_. Now look at them."

Crane turned his head to see John gently brush his hand over Joss's as they stood next to each other listening to Finch. When Joss felt his touch, she glanced up at him with a smile and the two of them shared a very loving look before turning their attention back to Finch. The whole thing had only taken a few seconds, but it was so intimate and tender that Crane almost felt like a voyeur as he watched.

Crane briefly bowed his head. "I will not deny that I consider Miss Mills a close friend, but I am a married man, Miss Shaw."

Shaw just looked at him with a steady and penetrating look. "Love gets complicated sometimes, right Icky?"

"Ichabod," Crane absently corrected her as he watched Abbie talking to Jenny. He felt his heart skip when Abbie smiled at something Jenny said to her. "Indeed it does Miss Shaw."

* * *

_After sundown…_

"Are you sure you're up for this?" John asked his mate with concern as they began undressing to change forms.

Joss glared at him. "I'm fine John. Don't go all protective Alpha Wolf on me."

John grabbed her upper arms in a vise-like grip. "Do you have any idea what it's like to watch the mother of your child being ripped apart by a demon?"

Joss looked up into John's eyes and saw the fear there. She reached up and gently placed her hands on either side of his face. "Baby, don't. We know what we do is dangerous. We _both_ signed up for this."

John blinked a couple of times to clear his eyes of the tears that started to form and then he touched his forehead to hers. "I didn't sign up for losing you."

Joss kissed him tenderly; it was hard to stay mad at someone who only wanted to keep you alive. "You aren't getting rid of me anytime soon, John Reese. Now get those clothes off so we can kill some Hell Hounds."

A few minutes later, they emerged from the brush in Wolf form. Shaw and Fusco were already waiting in their Wolf forms. Jenny, Irving, Crane, and Abbie were also there, armed and ready. Jenny, Irving, and Abbie were armed with automatic weapons and Crane had his handgun.

The plan had changed from the previous night. Rather than having the humans remain waiting in a clearing, they would follow the Wolves as best they could so that the Wolves would not have to herd the Hell Hound as far. The hope was that by cutting the distance the Hell Hounds had be to moved, they would not have time to harm any of the Wolves. The memory of Joss in the jaws of the Hound from the previous night still had everyone shaken up.

The Wolves began moving through the forest in complete silence. The humans tried to keep up, but they were soon far behind. The Wolves paused, waiting for them to catch up; listening and sniffing the air, trying to find the remaining Hell Hounds. They repeated this pattern a couple of times.

Suddenly, they heard a terrified scream rip through the air. The Wolves all sprinted in the direction of the scream as the humans did their best to follow through the thick forest.

The Wolves emerged from the forest into a campground to find a Hell Hound attacking a man, while a screaming woman frantically tried to protect a child with her own body. The woman was trying to prevent the child from seeing the demon as it ripped the man apart.

Without hesitation, the Wolves threw themselves at the Hell Hound, ripping and tearing at the beast. The demon dropped the severely mauled man and turned on the Wolves. The Wolves, using their hard won experience from the previous night, began slowly herding the demonic animal towards the humans and their high powered weapons.

They did not get very far when the Hound slammed Shaw with his huge paw and knocking her nearly unconscious. Before the beast could seize her in his jaws, Crane burst into the clearing and pumped a couple of bullets in the Hound's head. The beast turned to go after Crane just as Abbie, Jenny and Irving broke into the clearing and began firing.

The beast screamed and thrashed, still attempting to fight. The automatic weapons were nearly empty before the demon finally died and burst into the same intense flames as other Hound had.

As soon it did, John changed back to human form. "In the campground over there, the Hell Hound attacked a family."

Irving and Abbie dropped their automatic weapons, drew their badges, and hurried over to the campground while the rest of the party waited tensely for them to return and report on the condition of the victims.

After a long tense wait, Abbie and Irving returned.

"The father healed up as soon as the Hell Hound died, just like Joss. He'll be fine. He actually thinks he got lucky and the animal didn't hurt him badly. The family thinks they were attacked by a red-eyed bear, so Abbie and I let them keep on thinking that," Irving reported, and then he shook his head. "Good thing the human mind can fool itself like that."

"It is fortunate for us, Captain. I have no idea how we would explain the presence of a Hell Hound in this forest," Crane pointed out.

"Excellent point," Irving said as he massaged his temples. "The family is packing up and heading home so we don't have to worry about them with the third Hell Hound still out there."

The team returned to the area where they had left their vehicles. The Wolves changed back to human and got dressed. As they were walking back to the cars, Fusco kept sticking his tongue out, licking his lips and making sour faces.

"Something wrong, Detective?" Irving asked with a trace of amusement.

"Yeah," the burly detective grumbled. "Hell Hounds taste like ass. I need a cup of joe, or five, to wash my mouth out."

John looked over at the rising sun. "The remaining Hell Hound has gone to ground for the day, so we might as well eat and get some sleep."

Crane looked over at John. "Do not forget we still have to find the third member of the coven."

John nodded. "I haven't. Finch is still working on it."

Crane smiled. "Then by all means, let us find Detective Fusco his cup of… _joe_."


	8. Chapter 8

**The Last of the Coven**

John heard the phone buzzing on the night stand and rolled over to reach for it. He had been sleeping, spooned with Joss ,and she made a squeak of protest at the loss of his warmth as he moved away from her and reached for the phone. John could not help but smile as his mate pulled the covers up over her head and burrowed down into the bed. John allowed himself a few seconds to gaze tenderly at the lump under the blankets that was his beloved before he answered the phone.

"Yes Finch?" he answered with no trace of sleep in his voice.

"Mr. Reese, I need you and Detective Carter at the Archives as soon as you can get here," Harold replied.

"We'll be there in 30."

John hung up and rolled back over. He gently pulled down the covers covering his mate, and kissed her ear. "Time to rise and shine." He smiled down at her.

Joss rolled onto her back, narrowed her eyes, and lifted her lip in a snarl, glaring up at her laughing mate. In his mind's eye, John could see the face of the black wolf superimposed over her human face. "I'll rise, but you can forget the shine," she growled deep in her throat.

John lovingly traced his finger down her forehead, down her nose and across her lips. "Come on," he said in his soft bedroom voice. "Let's take a shower... together."

Joss grinned and took his hand.

* * *

It had been thirty minutes exactly since John ended his conversation with Finch when he and Joss strolled into the Archives to find that Ichabod and Abbie were already there. "Where are the others?' John asked.

"Ms. Shaw insisted on stopping for breakfast and Detective Fusco was unable to talk her out of it," Finch sniffed. Joss suppressed a giggle; nothing came between Shaw and her food. She didn't blame Fusco for not being able to stop her, though Finch clearly did.

Abbie saw Joss's amusement and winked at her friend. Abbie had spent enough time with Shaw over the last few days to understand the ex-op lived in a perpetual state of hunger. "We got a report that wild dogs killed a herd of sheep about ten miles away. Irving and Jenny went to check it out."

"The third Hell Hound?" John asked.

Abbie shrugged. "Maybe. Hopefully we'll know more once they reach the scene. Didn't sound like Lassie's handiwork though."

Crane looked up from the book of spells that Joss and Abbie had brought back from the Barrington house the previous day. "Lassie?" he asked in a confused tone of voice.

"A really smart dog. Collie. Rescues Timmy from the well," Abbie explained. Crane continued to look at her in confusion, still baffled as to how this was relevant to their current situation. Abbie sighed. "After this is over, we'll see if Netflix has the TV series."

That seemed to satisfy Crane and he dropped his eyes back down to the book. "I have been reading this volume that the ladies found after their victory over Celia Barrington. I believe this is the book that the Coven used to raise the Hell Hounds."

Joss arched one of her perfectly groomed eyebrows at him. "I sense a 'however' coming on…"

Crane nodded. "_However_, raising Hell Hounds requires more than just the spell. It requires a special amulet. That amulet also allows the bearer to control the Hounds."

"Makes sense," John said. "You don't want the demon you just raised to eat you."

John and Joss both looked over Crane's shoulder to see the drawing of the amulet in the book he held. It depicted a snarling dog's head with pointed upright ears, a long snout, and fire coming out of the eyes and mouth. There was something written around the edge in what Joss assumed was Latin.

"What does the writing say?" Joss asked curiously as she traced the drawing with her finger.

"It says 'bad dog'," Crane deadpanned and Joss burst into laughter; the corner of Crane's mouth quirked up. "Kidding. It says 'I command thee, Hounds of Hell'."

Joss shook her head. "We didn't find anything like at that at the Barrington place."

Crane shut the book. "Mr. Reese and I found nothing like it at the Jones home, and Captain Irving says they did not find the amulet at the Percy place."

"Nor did they find Jane Percy," Finch added. "However, Detective Fusco says it looked like the home had not been occupied for some time."

"So Percy has another place where she's been living," John said.

Finch gave his friend a small smile. "I think I've found the place. Jane Percy's maiden name was Duncan, and I have found a small farm associated with that name that has not changed hands in the past 50 years. I then tried to find some satellite pictures of the home, but there seem to be no pictures."

"No satellite pictures? How could that be?" Joss asked as a little furrow appeared between her eyebrows.

"Powerful magic would be the most likely explanation, Detective," Crane answered. "All signs point to this domicile being the home of the last member of the Coven."

"Then we'd better check it out." John turned for the door, followed by Joss, Crane and Abbie. "Finch, send the others when they get here."

"Of course, Mr. Reese. Be careful," Harold said as they exited the building.

* * *

The Wolves and the Witnesses parked down the road from the remote farmstead and crept through the brush with Abbie and Crane slightly ahead of John and Joss. They could not see a farm house or any buildings, but as John looked harder he realized that the place didn't look quite right. The tree branches didn't quite line up; they were disjointed like someone was holding up a mirror. He realized that Crane had been right; someone was using to magic to hide the place.

As they moved further onto the property, his skin prickled like they were close to massive electric power lines, but there were none anywhere near. He saw Crane and Abbie up ahead looking around and he knew they felt it too.

John glanced over at this mate and she gave him a tight nod to let him know that her Wolf senses were picking up another supernatural creature in the area.

Suddenly, with a startled "oaf", John and Joss ran smack into an invisible barrier. It was like walking into a glass door that was so clean you didn't know it was there. They reached out with their hands and touched it. There was definitely something solid there, even if they couldn't see it.

Sensing that John and Joss were no longer behind them, Crane and Abbie turned around and saw the Wolves doing what looked to be a very good impression of mimes doing the classic 'trapped in a glass box' routine. Crane and Abbie looked at the Wolves, then at each other and ran back to John and Joss. But the barrier blocked them on their side too. They all realized that Crane and Abbie were stuck on one side, and John and Joss were stuck on the other.

They barely had time to absorb the implications of their predicament when they heard a laugh so evil that it made the hairs on the back of their necks stand up. Crane and Abbie turned to see Jane Duncan Percy cackling at them like they were bugs in a glass jar.

Ropes magically appeared and tied the Witnesses to a tree while the Wolves watched helplessly from the other side of the barrier. Percy turned her back on them; she obviously did not consider them a threat on the other side of her magical wall.

Joss leaned over to John. "She's wearing an amulet," she whispered to her mate. John gave her a quick nod, he saw it too.

Percy fingered her amulet while she eyed her prisoners. "The Witnesses have come to see me, I feel so honored! I get so few visitors out here."

She noticed Crane staring at her amulet. "Oh, you like my necklace? Is this why you have come to see me? Or perhaps you wish to meet my pet?" She held the amulet in her fist, closed her eyes, and muttered an incantation.

The Wolves and Witnesses watched in horror as the remaining Hell Hound rose from the ground. Despite the daylight, its eyes and mouth still glowed a sinister red and there was no trace of shine to its coat. It stood looking around, blinking in the sunlight, and finally fixed its beady eyes on Percy. It lifted its lip in a snarl of hate, but seemed unable to move otherwise.

"That's right my pet. Meet our guests," Percy cooed at the giant beast like it was a purse poodle. The Hound swiveled its enormous head to look at the trapped Witnesses and growled. It rolled its lips back, showing white fangs that were so big it could not close its mouth all the way.

John slammed his shoulder against the barrier, testing its strength. Percy briefly turned her attention back to the Wolves. "Careful dearie," she cackled. "Don't hurt yourself. I assure you that no human can pass through that barrier. I spent an entire century perfecting it."

Joss grabbed John's arm. "John," she whispered urgently. "She said no human can pass through, maybe a Wolf can?"

John checked on Percy, but her attention was fully focused on taunting the Witnesses now. He looked down at his mate and nodded. The two of them disappeared in the bushes to change out of sight of the witch.

Percy smiled in triumph at her prisoners. "Now how shall I go about ending the Witnesses? Hmmm." She made a great show of thinking and pacing while the Hell Hound growled and eyed Crane and Abbie hungrily.

"I thought Hell Hounds only came out at night?" Abbie whispered while pretending to watch Jane Percy's little show.

Crane glanced over at Abbie. "Given the choice, they will, but Mrs. Percy is controlling the beast with her amulet. However, the demon is weakened by being in the daylight. It is still dangerous, but not nearly as fast or as strong as it would be at night."

"Does that mean we have a chance to beat it?" Abbie asked hopefully as she tested the strength of the ropes holding them down.

"Probably not," Crane answered honestly. "It will still be a fearsome beast."

"Swell."

Percy finally ended her little show. "I know what I will do. I am a fair witch; I have decided to give you a fighting chance. I will release you from your bonds and give you a head start before I send my little pet after you." With a theatrical wave of her hand, Abbie was released from the ropes, leaving Crane still tied to the tree.

Percy smiled at Abbie. "Run dear."

Abbie took off running for a tree a short distance away to lead the beast away from the still helpless Crane. Her plan was to climb out of reach of the demonic dog and then use her gun to pump a few bullets into the Hell Hound's brain, or whatever it had. Abbie had run track in high school and had made it to the semi-finals of the 200 meter dash in the state meet. She still ran for exercise and she was much faster than many men in the Sleepy Hollow Sherriff's department, so her plan was actually a good one given the predicament she found herself in.

Had Jane Percy actually been the good sport she claimed to be, Abbie's plan may have worked. But Percy wasn't and she did not give Abbie the promised head start. As soon as Abbie began running, Percy unleashed the Hound. Just as Abbie reached the tree and leaped for the bottom branch, the Hound caught her by the leg. Abbie was unable to hold onto the branch and was yanked down to the ground. Frantically, Abbie used all her strength to kick the demon in the face, but the beast didn't even blink. It pinned the Lieutenant down with one of its huge front paws and bit down on her hip. Abbie screamed in pain as it ripped a chunk of flesh out of her.

"ABBIE!" Crane screamed frantically as he fought against the ropes that held him to the tree. It was no use, the ropes only tightened around him as he struggled and he could only watch in horror as a pool of blood rapidly formed under his partner.

Percy glanced in his direction. "Don't worry your turn is coming," she assured him with an evil smile before she went back to watching the Hell Hound maul Abbie.

Unexpectedly, a pair of Wolves exploded at a dead run out of the brush. Shoulder to shoulder they ran full tilt into the Hell Hound, knocking it off Abbie and tearing at its throat. Percy screamed in frustration, and tried to throw curses at the Wolves, but the battle was moving too fast and she was unable to hit them.

The demon and the Wolves rolled over and over in the grass, biting and tearing at each other. The Hell Hound got its feet under him and stood, shaking the Wolves off. The Wolves each took up a position on either side to the demon while the Hound swiveled its head back and forth between the Wolves, unsure which to attack first.

John, fully aware that Abbie only had limited time before she bled out, became the aggressor. He lunged at the Hound in what seemed to be reckless attack. The Hound turned to him, but in the daylight it was slow, allowing John to dodge the beast's counter attack.

While the Hell Hound was busy with her mate, Joss snuck in using her speed and small size to come in underneath the enormous Hound, giving her a clear shot at its unprotected throat. The black Wolf latched onto the Hell Hound's neck in an unbreakable death grip. The demon screamed once in agony as Joss bit down with all her strength, braced her paws against its chest and ripped its throat out. The Hell Hound took a couple of wobbly steps, collapsed, and lay still. It burst into flames, burning brightly for a few brief seconds and then all traces of the beast were gone except for a scorch mark in the grass.

Neither John nor Joss waited to see the beast burn. As it died, they both raced for Abbie. Percy screamed in anger and flung a cruse that hit Joss squarely in the side, knocking her over, but doing no other damage. At the same time, John reached Abbie and morphed back to human, snatching her gun out of her bloodied holster as he changed back to human form. Before Percy had a chance to turn her attention from Joss to John, he fired, hitting her squarely in the chest.

"Noooo," Percy barely had time to scream before she went down. Like her fellow coven members before her, Jane Percy shriveled up, changed to dust, and blew away on the gentle breeze.

After Percy died, the ropes holding Crane vanished. "Abbie!" he cried as he hurried to her and dropped to his knees, holding her head in his lap.

John went to his fallen mate as she rolled back onto her feet. He knelt down in front of her and held her head in his hands. "Are you alright?" he asked as he gazed into her eyes. She smiled and licked his face to indicate that she was fine. She stood up and gave herself a good shake.

They looked over at Abbie and Crane and saw that Abbie's wounds were healing just as Joss's had the other night. "Let's get our clothes back on and give them some privacy," John said to the black Wolf. She nodded her head and they returned to where they had hastily removed their clothes and began to dress.

Crane held Abbie's head in his lap, tenderly stroking her cheek as her wounds slowly closed over. "I thought I lost you there," he said softly.

Abbie tried to smile, but it was more of a grimace of pain as her extensive injures healed. "You know me; it takes more than a demonic puppy to take me out."

Crane scooped her up into his arms. Abbie gave a squeak of surprise. "What are you doing?"

Crane smiled down at his partner. "Remember, I promised you that if you were ever to be mauled by a Hell Hound, I would carry you back to the car like Mr. Reese carried Detective Carter."

Abbie opened her mouth to protest and then shut it. It felt good to be in Crane's arms and it felt good to have someone care for her. She put her arms around his neck and placed her head on his shoulder and made no further protests as he turned for the car. _I could get used to this_, she thought with a soft smile.

Crane was amazed by how light she felt in his arms and how right it felt to hold her.

John and Joss, now in human form and fully clothed stepped out of the bushes. John smirked when he saw Crane carrying Abbie. "Need any help?" he asked while Joss giggled.

"I have the situation well in hand," Crane answered regally as he walked past.

"I can see that," John replied cheerfully and he winked at Joss. They fell into line behind Crane and Abbie and followed the Witnesses to the car without further comment.

Once they reached the car, Crane carefully set Abbie down and Joss got her a bottle of water out of the car. Abbie sat down in the passenger seat and sipped her water.

"How do you feel?" Joss asked with concern.

Abbie gave her friend a half smile. "If anyone knows how I feel right now, it's you. I'm sore, but otherwise not too bad." She looked down at the ragged hole in her shirt the Hell Hound at left behind, but the skin underneath was now smooth and unblemished. "I'm gonna miss this shirt."

"The shirt can be replaced, Miss Mills, you cannot," Crane said stiffly.

Abbie raised an eyebrow. "I'm touched, Ichabod."

Crane harrumphed and looked away. Abbie winked at Joss.

John tapped his earpiece. "Finch, it's over. Jane Percy and the last Hell Hound are dead."

"Is everyone alright, Mr. Reese?" Finch asked with concern.

"Abbie was attacked by the Hell Hound, but she healed up as soon as it died. She's fine."

"Thank God for that. I'll see you soon."

John cut the connection. "Now that we have established that Abbie is fine, I think we should search the house. It's probably as saturated in evil as the other places." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the amulet, handing it to Crane. "I think you should keep this."

Crane nodded his head and stuck it in his pocket. "We will add it to the collection of artifacts at the Archives."

They drove the car down to the house to spare Abbie some walking. Crane refused to let her help and made her wait in the car as he and the Wolves searched the house for any items that could be of use to the Witnesses in their quest to fend off the Apocalypse.

The search went rather quickly. The farmhouse was even more imbued with evil than the previous places and they felt very uncomfortable when they were inside. Joss particularly had to step outside a few times to take a break. Her Wolf senses got so overwhelmed with the stench of malevolence permeating the house that John finally put his foot down and made her wait in the car with Abbie.

They found some books that Crane wanted to keep, so those were placed in the car before John and Crane torched the place. The ancient wooden farmhouse burned quickly and easily.

The Wolves and the Witnesses leaned against the car a short distance away watching the house burn. "Have you ever been in a more wicked place?" Abbie asked, shivering despite the heat from the fire.

Crane shook his head. "Purgatory is Moloch's realm, but it is more hopeless than evil."

John got a faraway look on his face. "I've been in a lot of evil places," he said softly. Crane looked over, startled, but wisely did not say anything. Joss took his hand and squeezed it. John squeezed back without removing his eyes from the burning house.


	9. Chapter 9

**Farewell**

After the home of Jane Duncan Percy was turned into smoking ruins, John, Joss, Abbie and Crane returned to the Archives to find that Jenny, Irving, Shaw and Fusco were all there waiting for them with Finch and Bear.

As Finch was in the process of packing up his equipment and preparing to leave, he handed Captain Irving a list of addresses. "You might want to check these out, Captain. I find the lack activity on these properties suspicious. I haven't been able to link any of them to the coven, but you may want to do your own investigation."

Irving took the list and looked it over. "Thanks Mr. Finch, I'll check it out. Now if you all will excuse me, I have day job I need to get back to." He paused and grinned. "Apparently, there has been a mysterious rash of fires in old abandoned houses lately that needs investigating." He shook hands with Finch and left.

Jenny sighed. "I should probably get going, too. I have a therapy appointment this afternoon I can't miss." Jenny went to hand John the gun he had given her, but John waved her away. "Keep it," he said. "I have several."

"Really?" Jenny asked with a big grin on her face as she stroked the weapon.

"I did not just see you gift my sister with an illegal weapon!" Abbie groaned as she slapped her hands over her eyes. John and Jenny just smirked at her. She turned to Joss and asked, "How do you put up with this?"

Joss just smiled. "I keep telling myself it's for the greater good." She looked over at her mate with a fond smile. "And it usually is."

Jenny took her leave without any further goodbyes. Joss had a feeling she was going to squeeze in some target shooting with her new gun before her appointment this afternoon.

Finch stood up and looked at John. "Ms. Shaw, Detective Fusco, and I are going to drive back to New York now. Will you being joining us?"

John shook his head. "We'll be few hours behind you. Joss wants to stay and chat with Abbie for a while."

Finch nodded. "Then I suppose we will see you tomorrow morning at the usual time. Come Ms. Shaw, Detective Fusco, we have a long drive home and Ms. Groves has been left to her own devices for far too long."

Fusco and Finch both paused and looked at Shaw expectantly. Shaw looked confused. "What?"

"We're just waiting for you to yell 'I'm driving' like you always do," Fusco explained patiently.

"I'm practicing my couth. Couth people don't do that," Shaw loftily explained.

Fusco raised an eyebrow. "Does that mean I get to drive home?"

"Don't push it."

"Couth people let others drive once in a while. I'm just sayin'…"

Shaw and Fusco walked out the door as they continued squabbling like siblings. Bear watched them go and whined a tiny little whine.

Crane shot Finch a pitying look. "How do you tolerate them?"

Finch pulled a prescription bottle out of his pocket and held it up. "Powerful pain killers. I should be asleep before we hit the interstate." Then Finch shook hands all around and followed Shaw and Fusco out to the car, leaving the Alphas and the Witnesses alone in the Archives.

Joss looked over at the men. "Abbie and I are going down to the diner. I hear it has great apple pie. Can we leave you two alone unsupervised?"

John smirked back at her. "We're in a room filled with magical and possibly dangerous artifacts. What could go wrong?"

Joss crossed her arms and glared at her mate.

Crane chuckled. "Go ahead with Miss Mills, Detective. I assure you I will keep Mr. Reese out of trouble."

Joss snorted. "Good luck with that, whole platoons of soldiers have tried to keep him out of trouble and failed." She gave her mate a peck on the lips and she and Abbie left for the diner.

* * *

Joss and Abbie sat across from each other sipping their coffee, talking and just enjoying some girl time with each other. Abbie kept staring out the window as they chatted, obviously troubled about something. Finally, Joss set her coffee cup down. "OK Abs, out with it."

Abbie sighed; she knew it was no use denying that she had something she wanted to get off her chest to her highly intuitive friend. "How much do you know about the time Jenny and I vanished for four days? Back when we were in high school?"

Joss shrugged. "Just what you told me the other day."

Abbie took a deep breath. "I lied, Joss. Jenny told the truth and I lied. I threw my own sister under the bus so I could stay out of the loony bin."

Nothing Joss could have said or done would have surprised Abbie more than what she said next. "It was the right thing to do," Joss said matter-of-factly as she picked her mug up and took a sip.

"Hear me out. Abbie," Joss said quickly, holding one finger up in the air when Abbie opened her mouth to protest. "There is something going on here. Something I don't pretend to understand. You have an important part to play in all of this, whatever this is, and you can't play that part if you're locked up and medicated. I think you were meant to lie. I think you were meant to do what it took to be out here and not in there when Crane woke up."

"Jocelyn Carter, saying that lying was the right thing to do?" Abbie couldn't believe her ears.

Joss laughed. "Yeah I know. But Abs, if there is one thing I have learned in the past few years, it's that things are rarely black and white. Sometimes a lie can be a good thing if it protects something bigger.

"I'm not saying I've lost all my ethics, but I realized that sometimes you have to bend the rules a bit for the greater good. You can be too rigid, and that, I have learned, is as bad as not being rigid enough."

* * *

"How did you and Detective Carter meet?" Crane asked handing John a cup of coffee. They were seated in the Archive, letting the women have some girl time together.

"I got arrested," John said casually, taking a sip.

Crane smiled. "Oddly, that is how I met Lieutenant Mills."

John grinned. "The Police Department, where the girls are."

Crane returned the smile. He liked the Wolf. He didn't think he would at first, but he was pleasantly surprised to find that he did. "In my time, women were not allowed to be constables. I'm glad that mistake has been rectified."

John grew quiet. "So am I, or I would be dead now."

Crane raised an eyebrow in surprise. From what he had seen of this Wolf over the last couple of days, he found that hard to believe.

John saw Crane's look of surprise. "Finding her… saved me. I lost someone and I was considering ending it all. I had nothing left..." his voice trailed off.

"And then you found the good detective," Crane prompted.

John looked down into his coffee cup and smiled fondly, thinking of his mate. "I needed to be reminded that there are people out there worth fighting for, good people."

Crane sighed deeply and regarded his own cup of coffee pensively. "I understand. I am fortunate to have Miss Mills. Otherwise, I too would be alone."

John held up his coffee mug. "Here's to our ladies."

Crane's mug clinked as it gently tapped John's in a toast. "To Lieutenant Mills and Detective Carter."

* * *

"Are you still upset about not being able to take the FBI position?" Joss asked.

Abbie shrugged. "I thought I had my life all planned out, but it seems fate had other plans for me. I've… come to terms with it. I had to stay here, I get that now." Abbie smiled. "Besides, if I had gone to Quantico, I'd be alone, and I wouldn't have Crane and Jenny right now. I think I like not being alone.

"What about you? I never got the story on your deal with the FBI."

This time it was Joss's turn to shrug. "Fate had other plans for me too, I guess. There were a lot of rumors around the guy I was dating at the time. They weren't true, but they were enough to scare off the FBI. I was guilty by association.

"I do know that if I had gotten the job, I wouldn't have John and Cali right now, so I definitely came out way ahead. I was pissed at the time, but now I wouldn't trade my life for anything. As a guy I know is fond of saying, it's a funny old world."

Abbie laughed. "Well your friend has that right."

Jos snickered. "He's not really a friend. But he is right a lot of the time."

The women chatted amiably for the next half hour. Joss showed Abbie Cali's latest baby pictures and reported on Taylor's progress in selecting a college to attend. Abbie talked about her effort to rebuild her relationship with her sister and her failed attempt to maintain a friendship with Luke Morales.

After a while Abbie looked out the window and nodded in the direction of the street. "Your ride's here."

Joss and Abbie watched as John parked the SUV and he and Crane climbed out. Joss was amused to watch most of the female and a few of the male heads turn to stare as her mate and the patriot walked into the diner.

John sat next to Joss and Crane sat next to Abbie. "I hate to break up the girl talk, but if we're going to make good on your promise to Taylor to be home for dinner, we need to get going," John said.

Joss checked her watch and nodded, realizing he was right.

John slid out of the booth and helped Joss up while Crane did the same for Abbie. John tossed some bills on the table to cover the ladies' pie and coffee and a generous tip and the four walked out to the SUV.

Joss gave Abbie a hug. "You know all you need to do is call if you need us. With Cali and Taylor, we have a vested interest in preventing the Apocalypse too."

Crane leaned down to receive his hug from Joss. "Thank you, Detective. There are some tasks that only we as the Witnesses can do, but it is comforting to know that we can call on your considerable skills in a time of need."

"You can," John said as he shook Crane's hand and accepted his own hug from Abbie. "Don't hesitate."

Crane and Abbie stood on the sidewalk and watched as the SUV pulled away from the curb and turned for the interstate.

"A most extraordinary couple," Crane murmured.

Abbie nodded her head, a smile on her face. "Yes they are. Come on, let's get back to Archives."

**THE END**

* * *

Thank you to everyone who left a review! I am humbled by the over whelming positive response to this fic. I wasn't sure if their were a lot of POI fans who also happened to be Sleepy Hollow fans, but it seems there are and it appears I may convinced a few of you to check out Sleepy Hollow as well. I'll try to write another crossover fic soon.

A special shout out to my betas, carolinagirl919 and ReeseisLAVAhot. I can not praise these ladies enough for putting up with me. wolfmusic218 deserves a shout out as well for all her encouragement.

Don't worry, there are more Wolf stories to come, they just won't leave me alone.


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